Dragons Taking Flight
by Princess Animeiija
Summary: On the way back to the Fire Nation from a peace summit, disaster strikes, sending the Gaang back onto the road of adventure. Zuko uses this as his chance to continue his search for his mother But in doing so...full summary inside.
1. Prologue, Part I: Days Before the Summit

Full Summary: Takes place a few months after the end of the show. Katara begins to question her decision to date Aang when, on the way back to the Fire Nation from a peace summit, disaster strikes. Sending the Gaang, and a few new additions back onto the road of adventure. Zuko uses this as his chance to continue his search for his mother and everyone readily agrees to maintain their search. But in doing so, they discover so much more about themselves than they ever could have hoped.

Author's Note: Hi, this is my other last airbender fanfic. It is, in no way shape or form related to my AU, though that does give me an idea. Anywho, here it is. Let me know if you see anything wrong so I can fix it. Well, RnR!

* * *

It had barely been a few months since Zuko had been crowned Fire Lord and already he and the GAang had to leave. Zuko and a hand full of ambassadors and elders, six in total, were being summoned to Ba Sing Se for negotiations of peace. The original plan had been for the talks to take place within the fire nation capitol, but there was to large of an outcry against that plan since no one was ready or willing to set foot within the fire nation.

Zuko tried valiantly to not take offense to this, knowing better than most people the damage that his nation had created, but it still hurt. It was okay though, the war was ended and his soldiers were withdrawing from occupied earth kingdom villages. He couldn't erase the damage, but he could at least stop the wounds from festering.

Zuko sighed as he overlooked the city of Ba Sing Se from the balcony of his assigned housing. He, like the rest of the fire nation delegates, weren't allowed to stay within the palace walls. It was another slap in the face, but one Zuko suffered unflinchingly even as his entire party complained.

"What are you doing out here so late?" Mai inquired, her husky voice slicing through the silence as swiftly as one of her daggers.

"Just thinking," Zuko responded, hoping his words would bait her into a conversation. He watched her through the corner of his eyes, taking in her aristocratic beauty with veiled eyes.

"That's nice," she replied. She approached his side with smooth, even strides before she looped her arms around one of his. She waited a few moments longer, her eyes watching the sunset in an attempt to discover what was so captivating about it. Seeing nothing of interest, Mai turned to her love with a bored expression. "I'm bored, come to bed."

"In a moment, Mai," Zuko sighed, watching as she walked away with an exaggerated sway of her hips. He watched her move for a moment longer, his eyes honing in on her hips, but strangely lust did not overtake him. _I must be more stressed than I realized, _Zuko thought with a rueful grin. He turned his eyes back to the horizon, his eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary before making his way into his chambers.

Mai had come to Ba Sing Se with her family since her father was one of the delegates, but she was rooming with Zuko. Her family didn't mind her leaving them. It was the opposite entirely. Her family hand insisted that she become inseperable from the new Fire Lord Zuko's side in hopes that she would be named their next Fire Lady. To most it would be a risky gamble, but Mai and her family had faith that any and all premarital acts would further ensure their place within the Fire Nation, so long as she didn't become pregnant.

"This bed isn't going to warm itself," Mai purred, her fingers crooked in a come hither motion. Her clothes lay in a heap on the floor and her hair was loose and falling about her shoulders in cascades of ebony.

Zuko grinned to himself, finally feeling himself stir, before he made his way onto the bed, kicking off his shoes as he went. Slowly he crawled towards Mai with a roguish smirk tugging at his lips. Zuko hovered over Mai's body as she lay back beneath him, but just before the two's lips could meet…

A knock at the door sounded, interrupting the two before they could partake in their fun.

"Just ignore it," Mai commanded as she reached a hand into his hair in an attempt to tug him down.

"Zuko," a very familiar voice called.

"Open up, Sparky," another voice shouted following the first.

Zuko flashed Mai an apologetic smile before he quickly dismounted the bed and exited the room. He slid the door shut behind him as he made his way to the door, barely reaching it when it was opened by none other than Toph and Katara. Toph grinned mischievously as she warped her space metal back into an armband.

"What did I tell you about picking locks," Katara chided, giving a stray lock of Toph's black hair a flick.

"What are you guys doing here," Zuko inquired, pleased to see them after their week long separation. Aang and the rest of the Gaang had to leave a few days after Zuko due to a small uprising that popped up around one of the Earth Kingdom border towns. Zuko had wanted to go with them and help, knowing that he would have been more than fine even in the probable situation of a scuffle, but his advisors were against it. They needed him in the Fire Nation to deal with pre-summit concerns and such, but Zuko knew that they didn't want him to leave in case he got hurt and left them without a ruler.

"What, no hello?" Toph gave Zuko's arm a punch before she allowed herself in. She located one of the low couches before throwing herself onto them and propping her filthy feet up on the low table.

"Hello," Zuko greeted with a happy half-grin. He stepped to the side to let Katara in before closing the door behind her.

"We heard that you weren't allowed to stay in the palace, so we decided to stay with you instead," Katara began. "If it's okay with you, that is."

"That's perfectly fine," Zuko smiled softly. "Where are the others?"

"The guys are getting Appa settled and Suki is explaining to the Earth King that we'll be staying with you," Katara explained, her eyes leering down at Toph's feet.

"You really don't have to stay with me," Zuko offered while giving Toph's ankle a tap. Reluctantly, Toph removed her feet from the table only to begin picking the lint and dirt from between her toes. It wasn't much better, but at least the risk of ruining furniture that wasn't his was reduced.

"But we want to, it'll be like old times," Katara grinned before plopping down onto the couch next to Toph. Zuko claimed the only remaining space next to her with one leg propped against the back of the couch. The other leg was stretched out, his toes poking at Toph's foot. Katara brought both her legs up onto the couch and turned to face Zuko. Her back rested against Toph's, who had also turned so that the both of them were leaning against each other.

"Who am I to deny you what you want." Zuko's statement made both Katara and Toph giggle, since they new the extent of truth within that statement.

"Zuko," Mai interrupted them, only wearing a robe and leaning against the door jam. "I didn't know we'd be having guests." She shot Katara a look, not really knowing what to think about the fact that she was inadvertently between Zuko's legs.

"Hey needles," Toph waved once she flicked a large lump of lint and dirt over the edge of the couch. Her 'clean' foot draped over the arm of the couch before the other foot was pulled up for the same treatment.

"Hello Mai, I hope we didn't interrupt anything," Katara said, her expression set in a smile but her eyes holding a slight edge of nervousness. She and Mai didn't have much of a relationship to go by and all the two shared together were memories of fights and suspicions against each other.

"No worries, we weren't really doing anything," Zuko answered in Mai's stead. For some reason, or for reasons Zuko did not want to delve into, Zuko didn't want two of the most important women in his life to know about the extent of his relationship with Mai. Not that he was ashamed of being with Mai; he just didn't know how they'd react.

Mai shot him a dirty look before a mask of neutrality melted onto her features. "I'll be getting dressed," she said, just as Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee and Aang barged right in with their bags. Momo glided in after them before settling onto Toph's knees.

"Hey, Zuko," the two males greeted before tossing their things into the nearest corner.

"How've you been?" Suki added before claiming one of the cushions on the opposite side of the couch.

"Hi Zuko, I'm gonna go see Mai," Ty Lee informed while she cart wheeled in the direction of the bedrooms.

"Hey, help yourselves to whatever you want," Zuko presented, waving his hand in a flippant fashion.

"Will do," Sokka answered before he made his way into the kitchen.

"So, which room is ours in," Suki asked, scanning the room and counting all the doors in her mind.

"The first door is mine, but the others are free game," Zuko informed.

"Thanks Zuko," Suki grabbed the satchel that was hers before making her way down the hall. Sokka trailed behind her, his movements slow and almost completely silent. No one else noticed but Zuko since he was facing Sokka directly.

"So what plans do you have for tomorrow, before the talks and stuff?" Katara questioned with a blush. Even though she couldn't see her brother she knew exactly what he was doing and where he was headed. _I know where I'm __**not**__ sleeping tonight, _Katara groaned.

"I haven't the slightest to be honest." Zuko took the time to look up to see Mai re-enter the room, fully dressed and with her hair back up in its usual style. He noted her refusal to look at him but decided not to do anything about it since he knew it was either because of the fact that he didn't admit to anything that was happening between them before everyone came in or because she didn't really care for his friends. Why she didn't really care for them he didn't understand, since they were good people. But for some reason, even in light of a few minutes ago, Zuko had a feeling that it was the later. _I hope she can get over it._

"Well, Snoozles and Fans are going on a da~te," Toph sang loudly. (I don't remember Toph's name for her.)

"I have to sit in for the meeting between earth kingdom delegates before the peace talks," Aang whined. He stared at the couch, or rather Katara, with longing. He wished to sit next to her, but there was no room for him. Aang sent Zuko a look since he knew he wouldn't be able to get Toph to move.

Zuko caught Aang's eyes with a twitch of his brow. He knew what Aang wanted, but he wasn't inclined to move. He suspected it was because he wanted be near Katara as well since her presence always made him feel…good. She made being good easy for him. It was something he needed right now since he knew that the reminder of Katara would keep him from doing anything that he would later regret during the peace talks. Zuko immediately broke eye contact with Aang and squirmed forward a bit so that his back rested more comfortably against the couch's arm.

Aang frowned, but thought nothing of it otherwise. He dropped himself onto the cushion Suki had previously vacated and sat with his legs crossed. "Why don't you guys go to the Zoo?"

"Sounds like fun, but I can't, I'm visiting mom and dad since they'll be part of the peace talks," Toph admitted, a strange twinkle in her eye. "So that just leaves Sparky and Sweetness."

Mai cleared her throat.

"And Needles, I guess," Toph added as an after thought.

"Or, we can go to the spa. We can have a girly day," Ty Lee beamed before pulling Mai into an awkward hug.

"You guys would love the Fancy Lady Day Spa," Katara offered. "Toph and I had a blast when we went."

"You bet we did. Remember that scary canyon crawler lady? We almost gave her a heart attack," Toph laughed in agreement. "Ah, those were good times." Toph pressed against Katara's back in silent warning before she hopped over the arm of the couch, giving Aang the chance to claim her spot by Katara. "I'm going to claim us a room."

"Alright Toph, please pick one away from-"

"I know, I know, away from Snoozles." Toph bent over to examine the bags, her small hands going over the fabrics before she found the bags that belonged to her and Katara. Secretly she was grateful to them. Some time after Toph joined the Gaang, Katara made the effort to change all their bags so that they were made differently, be it in fabrics or stitching. This enabled Toph to locate what she needed without anyone else's help and allowed for her independence to bloom.

"So, about tomorrow," Zuko continued as if they were never interrupted. "I am not sitting around waiting for you guys at some spa."

"I'll be exploring the city, you can join me. It'll be better than being alone all day." Katara stretched in place before unfurling her legs. She stretched them out and let them drape over Zuko's leg, her feet touching the floor. She peeked outside at the darkening sky, stifling a yawn as she did so.

"Tired?" Zuko breathed, fighting a yawn of his own.

"Mm-hmm."

"Why don't you sleep for a bit, I'll wake you when dinner gets here," Zuko promised, predicting that the Earth King's chefs would have some food sent for all of them within the next hour or so.

"Thank you." Katara rose up from the couch and made her way down the hall. _I hope I get the right room_ Katara thought as she scanned the doors in hopes of figuring out which one was hers.

* * *

As promised, Zuko was at Katara's door and waiting patiently for Katara to answer his knock. Behind him joint complaints echoed, no one willing to start eating until everyone was present at the table. This resulted in people rushing Zuko to hurry up and wake Katara up. Zuko ignored them all however and waited patiently. He knocked again, his fist rapping against the door more firmly than before, thinking that she did not hear him the first time.

"Coming," Katara's groggy voice called, followed by the rustling of fabrics and a crash.

"Are you alright," Zuko inquired through the door, almost tempted to risk entry to see if she was okay.

"I'm fine," Katara replied as she opened the door. Her hair fell down her back in a cascade of curls, her signature hair loopies undone. She only wore her tunic, still too tired to put her leggings back on so it was a shock to Zuko to see her bare legs. She made an attempt to tame her hair, but realized mid-pony tail that she didn't have anything to fasten it in place with. She grunted to herself and made a move to turn back into her room, but Zuko stopped her.

Zuko smiled at Katara's tiredness as he held out the tie that held his topknot in place. He pocketed the crown that would usually be placed on his head and he allowed for his shaggy hair to fall loosely about his head.

"Thanks," Katara smiled.

"Anytime," Zuko shrugged before linking his arm with hers and leading her back to the dinning room. She fell into step next by his side, or he fell into step by hers, Zuko couldn't tell. Discreetly, he peeked downwards and noted that he had matched his step with hers, or she with his. He decided to switch his steps up a little and smirked when Katara's steps altered to match his.

Katara looked at Zuko through the corner of her eyes suspiciously, noticing how he reacted to her legs. At least she thought that was what he was looking at. This suddenly made her feel self conscious, making her want to head back to her room in hopes of finding her leggings and putting them back on. But Zuko held his arm fast around hers, offering her a reassuring smile as if sensing her nervousness. Sighing, Katara looked down and noticed their steps were in sync. This bothered her almost as much as it entertained her, so she altered her step and watched in fascination how Zuko subconsciously changed his step pattern as well to match hers.

To two locked gazes and chuckled at themselves and how silly they were being, neither really caring who was following who.

"Took you long enough," Sokka whined, finally deeming it okay to start piling his plate with food.

"Yeah, what were you two doing anyway," Toph added, accepting the plate offered to her by Suki. She didn't know what half the foods presented to her were, so she trusted Suki's judgment as to what foods she'd like.

"Nothing," the two answered, watching each other's feet and trying to walk differently from one another as they made their way to the remaining cushions. They claimed their seating across from each other and by their significant others and were locked in a playful stare down.

"What are you two doing?" Aang didn't know how to take the expressions his two teachers shared, their eyes locked as if sharing secrets through their eyes.

"I think he copies me," Katara offered off handedly, filling her plate and trying to break the synchronization between them. Their motions coordinated as if by some outside force even as they tried to stop it.

"That is where I beg to differ; you are copying me," Zuko argued happily.

"So you finally realized that you guys do stuff at the same time?" Toph grinned, interrupted their playful spat with words of her own. "You guys have been doing that for ever."

"Really?" Katara and Zuko shared a glance and a shrug before they began to eat. They thought about Toph's words while idle chatter erupted around them, both wondering if what Toph said was true. Had they always been in sync with one another?

Mai and Ty Lee were the first to finish eating, their chatter minimal in comparison to the others. They then excused themselves from the table since Mai wanted to talk with Ty Lee alone. Ty Lee was reluctant to leave, enjoying the story that Sokka and Toph were telling about their adventures. Even the stories that involved her were funny due to the commentary that was shared between the two. But one look from Mai prompted Ty Lee to get up and follow her friend almost reluctantly.

"What's with her," Sokka pointed, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction Mai and Ty Lee vanished into.

Zuko merely shrugged, figuring that if it was important he'd find out about it later. "Girl talk …?" Zuko offered finally, not entirely sure if that was it but unable to come up with much else. He leaned back, bracing his arms against the floor behind him and stretching his legs out under the table. His feet bumped into someone's ankles, the skin smooth and uncovered. Instantly he figured it was Katara since she was the only one with her legs bare and he started to pull back.

Until Katara gave him a gentle and subtle kick under the table. Her entire face was a mask of perfect innocence as she listened to Aang preach about why Sokka shouldn't eat so much meat. She shrugged her low ponytail over her shoulder and glanced over at Zuko mischievously before returning her gaze onto her boyfriend.

Zuko smirked to himself, heating his foot with very light firebending and tapping Katara's foot. She jerked away from the sudden warmth, chilling her foot in a similar manner to Zuko and sending another light kick in Zuko's direction. She missed, her foot grazing his inner thigh. Zuko felt his pupils dilate and his breath spike at the sudden contact. This made Katara realize her mistake and she sent him an apologetic glance, thinking she might have hurt him. Zuko smiled, controlling his breathing while he did so and letting her know that there was no harm done. Both turned their attention back to Aang, their faces painted red by the accidental slip.

Both were oblivious to the impish smirk that spread across Toph's lips. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night," Toph announced finally, scratching Momo behind his ears as she rose to her feet, her smile refusing to leave her face. Nervousness filled the thoughts of all present at the table, their minds trying to find a reason for Toph's expression which usually lead to humiliation and pain. The instant she disappeared down the hall that lead to all their rooms, everyone jumped from the low table as if something nasty would strike at their feet.

"Maybe we should all turn in for the night," Suki offered, giving Sokka a meaningful glance before she continued. "We have a long day ahead of us and we'll need all our energy and resources available for the coming summit."

"Good idea," Sokka nodded, catching on to Suki's not so subtle hints swiftly. "Night guys."

"Night," the remainder of the group replied. Zuko, Katara and Aang then made their way to the low couch, grabbing what was left of the dessert and tea as they did so and reclaiming their former seating.

"Sokka must be pretty tired if he's leaving food behind," Aang beamed before shoving one of the remaining custard cakes into his mouth. He sat closer to Katara than necessary, leaning against her in hopes of prompting her to cuddle with him.

"Yeah, tired," Zuko agreed even though he knew otherwise. He and Katara shared shy glances as they both understood completely the silent message that was shared between both Suki and Sokka. The three sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the sweets and the warmth provided via Zuko and the fireplace.

Aang ignored the statement in favor of readjusting himself next to Katara, figuring that she wasn't comfortable with his current position. He turned in his seat and leaned back against the couch's arm in a fashion similar to Zuko. Still Katara remained as she was, enjoying her pastry and watching the dancing flames of the fireplace a little ways away behind the cushions. He watched enviously as Zuko and Katara silently signaled to one another; Katara gesturing to her cheek to let Zuko know that he had some jelly at the corner of his mouth and Zuko smiling his thanks and licking his lips. Suddenly, an idea came into Aang's head and he was more than happy to whisper his thoughts into Katara's ear.

Zuko watched with hooded eyes as Katara's expression morphed from a sweet flush and smile, to shocked and then to sullen in a matter of seconds. Whatever Aang said greatly disturbed her and because of it Katara excused herself for the night, leaving her half eaten pastry and chilling tea on the low coffee table. She parted with them after a quick 'good night' and left the two boys to ponder what was wrong. Zuko couldn't help himself and glared at Aang. Deep down Zuko knew that whatever it was that Aang said to Katara is what made her leave his side.

"What did you say," Zuko demanded sternly.

"Nothing," Aang argued in his own defense, his eyes sad and confused. "I just asked if she wanted to go to bed."

Zuko doubted that Aang was telling him the entire truth. But he also knew that that was the only truth he was going to get _for now_. He rose from his seat after another moment of silence in order to clean up the plates and cups, his experience as a waiter compelling him to do so. He then took them to the kitchen and set them aside to be picked up by the maid in the morning before turning in for the night.

Katara found herself rooted to the spot as she listened in on the conversation between Mai and Ty Lee. She didn't know what prompted her to listen in, whether it was suspicion or curiosity born from the sound of their words. But there Katara was, listening in on a conversation she had no part of.

"So what ideas do you have in mind already?" Ty Lee's voice was clear as day, even through the thick wooden sliding door that separated Katara from her two former enemies.

"That's just it, I don't have any," Mai sighed. "I want to do something special for his birthday tomorrow."

There was a long stagnant pause that filled the air as thoughts and ideas raced back and forth within the minds of the two girls in Ty Lee's given room. "Why not have sex with him," Ty Lee offered finally. Katara almost choked on her own spit, Ty Lee's response startling her with its nonchalance. But what shocked her more was Mai's response to such a lewd and indecent proposal.

"We're already having sex," Mai answered plainly. She was clearly comfortable with discussing the topic with her best friend as compared to Katara who was finding it difficult to breathe by just thinking about the word, let alone Mai and Zuko engaging in the act.

"Well, you can try something new. Then, when you guys get home, you can set up a real celebration in his honor. He'd be sure to propose to you then," Ty Lee presented. The sound that followed led Katara to believe that Ty Lee had flipped or jumped onto the dresser, which wasn't such a farfetched assumption given Ty Lee's personality.

"I'm a lady," Mai snorted, "I will not behave like some harlot."

"Are you sure, I know of quite a few things that would drive a guy wild," Ty Lee baited. Katara leaned against the door in hopes that the closeness would enable Katara to hear Ty Lee's next statement more clearly.

"Katara," Zuko's voice called, startling Katara and making her jump away from the door as if it had burned her. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Katara answered guiltily, backing away before making a hasty retreat to her room.

Zuko watched her go with a sense of suspicion, sensing that something was bothering her; something that had to do with what was happening beyond that door. Zuko approached the door and pressed his good ear to the smooth wood of the door. He heard nothing but faint and giddy whispers that could only be coming from Ty Lee since Mai was never giddy about anything. Shrugging his shoulder and sending Katara's door a parting glance, Zuko walked back to his room.

* * *

Katara awoke to an empty room the morning after. _Toph must have gone already,_ Katara decided as the grogginess slowly began to leave her.

Katara slowly managed to crawl out from under her thick coverlet and place her feet onto the cold ground. The sharp frigidness shot through her like lightning, making Katara groan as she dropped herself back onto the raised bed. _So cold,_ Katara thought with a whine. Katara tried to get up again, this time prepared for the frigid onslaught against her feet.

Quickly, Katara scuttled to the door in order to slide a pair of velvet slippers over her feet. She then located her tunic and leggings that she wore the previous day and slipped them on over her under clothes. Katara then made her way out of her room. The silence was deafening, but not all that unexpected. _The others must have left while I was sleeping._ Katara made it into the main room and sighed. She was all by herself with nothing much to do. She approached the couch with heavy steps as she tried to figure out what she was going to do.

Without looking, Katara grasped the top edge of the couch and jumped over it to lay down with a solid 'oomph.' The next thing Katara knew was she was being rolled over and dropped onto the ground with something deliciously warm pinning her arms overhead. She'd know those hands, and this heat, anywhere.

"Morning," Katara greeted sheepishly. "You really like pinning me to things, don't you?"

"Katara…? I'm so sorry," Zuko apologized, rising up to straddle her waist and releasing her wrists.

"No worries, I wasn't looking where I was going." Katara blushed profusely as she took in the sight of a half dressed Zuko hovering over her, his warmth caressing her skin and heating places the warmth had no place being.

"Again, sorry about that. One can never be too careful," Zuko admitted before helping Katara onto her feet as they both rose from the ground.

The two stared at each other awkwardly, not because of the fact that they were alone together, but because their minds had gone to improper places due to Zuko's actions.

Katara fiddled with the skirt of her tunic and combed her fingers through her hair, the coloration on her cheeks refusing to leave as her mind kept returning to the image of having Zuko over her. He was so warm and it was always a treat to see him without his shirt. The way his hands were firmly clasped around her wrist and the way his warmth radiated from his form brought back so many memories, both good and bad. But all memories filled her with such a strange and foreign longing.

Zuko scratched the back of his head and looked in every direction that didn't have Katara. _I really do have a bad habit_, Zuko agreed silently to Katara's statement. Memories of trees, walls and floors coming to mind, all of which revolved around him having her pinned in some way, shape or form, _it's no wonder uncle wouldn't leave me alone about it._

Looking at Katara now, her face flushed as she turned away from him. Her fingers combed through her hair as she tried to calm her deep breathing, her chest rising and falling with deep shaky breaths. Zuko licked his lips as the memories assaulted him. Now that he thought back on it, his actions weren't entirely innocent.

"So…" Katara began after a few more long moments, "It's you're birthday today, right?"

"How did you know?" Zuko inquired, finally getting his wayward thoughts in check.

"I heard Mai and Ty Lee talking about it last night after dinner," was Katara's reply. Her blush returned tenfold as she recalled everything else they said as they spoke. _That was too much information for me,_ Katara thought with an edge of jealousy. _I'm not jealous, _Katara chided herself when she realized the tone of her thoughts. _I'm just worried that something bad will happen since they've been…doing __**that**__ out of wedlock._

"Oh, yeah well, it's not a big deal." _So that's what Katara was doing. _Zuko rolled his eyes at Katara's nosiness as realization dawned. _Mai will probably insist on spending the night with me and Ty Lee will probably get me something for my aura or something._ Zuko shrugged before turning on his heel and striding over to the kitchen. "There's some breakfast left, would you like for me to heat it up?"

"Yes, please," Katara answered. She walked over to the low dining room table and claimed one of its cushions so she could watch Zuko prepare her breakfast. "So, what do you want to do for your birthday? How old are you now anyway?"

"I'm now seventeen, and no, I don't want to do anything for my birthday. It's just a day like any other and I need to focus on the peace talks tomorrow." Zuko prepared Katara's plate with precision, knowing from his travels with the gaang what Katara preferred. Once finished, Zuko heated his palms under the plate and blew heat over the top. He stopped when he was satisfied and then grabbed two apples on his way to the table. Zuko then placed the plate before Katara with a sudden flourish that gave rise to a little giggle.

"Thank you," Katara smiled, taking a deep breath of her food's scent and accepting one of the apples that Zuko held out. The two began to eat without a moment's hesitation.

"So what do you plan to do to day, are you still planning on exploring the city?" Zuko asked in between bites.

"That's the plan," Katara answered once she swallowed. "You're still welcome to join me."

"That sounds good to me." Zuko ate the last few bits of his apple before tossing it in the rubbish bin.

"Um, Zuko," Katara stuttered as the memories of last night's request from Aang entered her mind. It had been bugging her most of the night and had kept her up most of the night even though she was extremely tired.

"Hm," Zuko hummed in response, his attention focusing solely on her due to her sudden change in tone.

"I need some advice." Katara found herself losing her appetite as she stared at the last of her eggs and bread. She shoved the plate towards Zuko, hoping that he'd finish it for her and the food wouldn't go to waste.

"What about?" He accepted the plate, even though he wasn't hungry anymore and devoured all that remained in hopes of cheering her up, if only a little. Zuko knew how much Katara hated to waste food. She hated it almost as much as she hated to ask for help, so he was curious to know why she was asking him of all people for help because, even with their flourishing friendship, asking him for help made her feel weak.

"Well, you see, Aang and I have started dating a while ago and…" Katara started to twiddle her fingers as a warm hue painted her cheeks.

"And…" Zuko pressed, not knowing how he felt about Katara and Aang being an item. Suddenly, the conversation held little interest for him and part of him wanted to stop it in its tracks right then and there. But he stilled his tongue and waited patiently for Katara's coming words.

"Well, he has it in his head that we should be…I dunno, like you and Mai, or Sokka and Suki are. I think that he wants to move really fast without understanding what he's asking me for, but at the same time, every time he asks me why I just…I don't know what to say to him."

A spark of anger ignited within his belly, but Zuko managed to maintain a neutral mask as his mind flashed to last night. "Like Mai and me, could you be a bit more specific?" Zuko didn't want to jump to conclusions about the young monk, but he highly doubted he was wrong in his assumptions.

"Well, you know…sleeping together and stuff. But I don't think he understands that there's more than just sleeping involved." Her eyes darted between Zuko's face and her the wood of the table beneath her clenched fists. She didn't realized she had curled her fingers, the sudden stress of her situation distracting her to her own actions.

"Is that what he asked you last night?" At seeing Katara's nod, a wave of heat flashed from his form before vanishing as quickly as it came. "Would you like for me to…talk to him?" Zuko offered reluctantly once he had calmed himself. The very thought of having 'the talk' with the young airbender sent chills down his spine. Granted, Aang was about the same age when he, himself received 'the talk' from his uncle and later from his advisors. But it was so awkward just to hear it. Zuko could only imagine how much worse it would be for him to give it. Awkwardness was suddenly thrown into the mix and Zuko wished Katara had gone to someone else with her problem, even though he understood why she chose him.

"Could you please," Katara pleaded. "But what should I do? I mean, I know I can't do that. I know he doesn't understand, but I'm fifteen years old, I know what happens and, well…"

"Don't do anything," Zuko answered simply. "What he's asking for is something you shouldn't have to compromise on, not even for him."

"I know, but he always looks so betrayed when I tell him no. I just don't know what to do with him." Katara rested her forehead onto the table. She hadn't planned to come to anyone with her little problem, especially Zuko, but it just came out and now she couldn't stop her call for help. This was too much too soon in their relationship. They'd only been together for barely three months.

"Come on, why don't we get cleaned up and explore the city," Zuko suggested, pushing his own anger at Aang's ignorance aside so that he could help Katara feel better. "I'll have a word with Aang the first chance I get, so don't worry so much."

"Thank you," Katara sighed, glad that she came to Zuko with this bordering on embarrassing issue. _It's not like I could've asked Sokka about it…_

Author's Note: So, did you like it? Did you not like it? Let me know


	2. Prologue, Part II: The Summit

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for an update, this story is kinda a side project to my Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic and I got a bit distracted. But no worries, this fic takes second place in my priority list and I won't add any more fanfictions until at least one, or all, of my fanfics are done. Anyway, I hope you like it since now I'm finally done with creating the setting for my fic, so this is the last part of the prologue. Sorry if it's too long.

* * *

The two walked in a comfortable silence, taking in the sights with barely concealed awe. It was amazing how fast Ba Sing Se recovered from war, as was shown by the complete and total lack of fire nation mementos. Slowly, they traversed the central main road, neither in any big hurry as they scanned their eyes over the people and the vendors.

_How do I plan on dealing with this issue with Aang? _Zuko contemplated. _He's been raised by monks, so I don't know the extent of his knowledge as far as what is and isn't appropriate between a man and a woman. I don't even think he fully comprehends the connection between sex and children. Come to think of it, I doubt he understands the different kinds of love someone can feel. _A dark thought suddenly struck Zuko with that sudden realization. Zuko stole a glance at Katara, who looked around with such happiness and excitement. _What if he's confused the love that he feels for Katara with family love or strong friendship? ...No, that's not it. If he loved her like a friend or a sister, he wouldn't have looked at me like that in Ba Sing Se. Looks like there's no avoiding "the talk" after all._

"Oh Zuko, look," Katara pointed excitedly when something caught her eye, startling Zuko out of his silent reverie. She proceeded to drag him in the direction of a near by stall. "It's so pretty," Katara breathed as she pulled a beautiful and ornate dagger from the vendor's table.

It was an elegant woman's dagger made of engraved bone and moonstones. An image of Amarok*, the giant wolf of legend, carved its way along the entirety of the hilt and sheathe, a large moonstone filling the top of the hilt to serve as a make shift moon. Silver leaf accented the engravings, making the giant wolf pop and come to life. The blade itself was of tempered steel that was partially jagged around the tip but smooth closer to the hilt.

"You should get it," Zuko insisted, his trained eyes seeing the amazing craftsmanship of the blade.

"I wish I could, but Aang wouldn't approve and Sokka would try to claim it as his. Besides, I can't waist the money," Katara sighed, her eyes refusing to leave the beauty of the blade.

"Excuse me, how much is this?" Zuko understood her reasoning; she was always very stingy when it came to the groups' money, even with his added purse. But at the same time, he believed that any traveler (especially a woman) should always carry a means of protecting themselves, even if they were bender. One never knew what life would throw at them, so it was best to be prepared for anything, _especially with my luck._

"That's a fine dagger you have there," the vendor began, his eyes filling with greed as he took in Zuko's well off appearance. "That would be thirty gold pieces." Katara blanched at the price.

"Try again," Zuko growled, crossing his arms in a no nonsense manner.

"What? It's an exquisite blade, imported directly from the Northern Water tribe before trade was closed off. Look at the attention to detail, done free hand directly into compressed Polar Leopard bones. Then there's the moonstone, have you ever seen one so big without a single flaw! Thirty gold pieces 'is cheap!" The man was red in the face and his eyes were filled with rage. How dare this man demand that he lower his prices.

"It's okay Zuko, you don't have to buy it," Katara coaxed, trying to pull Zuko away from the vendor. But Zuko stood fast.

"You want it, and this guy's trying to rip us off, I'm getting it," Zuko argued, seeing this as a challenge to his bartering skills. "Besides, trade never ceased between the Northern Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom. If it had, you would have never been able to get the waterbending scroll from the pirates who stole it. Now sir, try again."

"Twenty five gold pieces," The man barked.

"I'll pay you sixteen gold pieces," Zuko offered.

"Twenty gold pieces, I refuse to go any lower," the man spat.

"You and I both know that no matter how good the dagger is, compressed bone is never worth more that ten gold pieces. Moonstone is barely worth five and the blade itself can be sold for a handful of copper coins. I'm willing to buy it for sixteen gold pieces, just so you can make a profit, even if you don't deserve it." Zuko bluffed. Compressed bone was quite a bit more expensive than either of them let on and Zuko had to admit that the price of the moonstone was reasonable for its size. He just didn't like the guy and the thought of ripping him off was to tempting to deny.

"Fine, sixteen gold pieces," the man hissed.

Zuko grinned triumphantly as he handed the man his money. He then led Katara away from the stall with his hand against her lower back.

"You really didn't have to do that," Katara giggled, knowing that compressed bone actually sold for twenty gold pieces.

"I know, but I wanted too," Zuko smirked, pleased with himself for buying the dagger at half cost.

"Thank you." Katara pulled Zuko into a quick hug before the two continued down the road. "Granted, I probably could have gotten a lower price."

"Oh really, you didn't seem all that willing to help," Zuko grinned, knowing a challenge when he heard one.

"That's because it wasn't needed," Katara countered with her nose in the air.

"Alright, prove it," Zuko taunted while wearing an expression of incredulousness.

"How," Katara questioned, not wanting to spend more money than she had to. She had very few needs and all of them were being met by King Kuei so there really wasn't a point to buy anything.

Zuko kept leading Katara down the road, his eyes searching the vendors and shops until his eyes landed on one that sold fancy women's clothing. "You need to get something to wear for the peace talks, right?"

"I just figured I'd wear this," Katara replied. At Zuko's look, she knew that he didn't approve of the idea. "What's wrong with it?" Katara huffed.

"Those are travel clothes," Zuko began. "Delegates are expected to dress their best for the occasion."

"Oh…no one saw fit to inform me of that," Katara growled, her mind plotting revenge against her brother and father, whom failed to mention that little fact. In fact, they'd been rather shifty whenever conversation drifted to the upcoming talks, almost as if they had something they wanted to tell her but didn't. Katara figured it was nervousness on all their parts, but it was becoming a nuisance.

"No worries just pick something you like and you can show me your bartering prowess," Zuko smirked.

"Fine, but you better help me pick something," Katara relented. _It's not like I have anything else nice to wear. _The two then entered the small building to their left.

It was a simple wooden structure, that was empty save for the cashier, a teenage boy roughly Zuko's age, and another couple that was perusing through the ready-made clothing. Most of the clothing could be adjusted to suit the wearer's needs and could be worn interchangeably. The fabrics spanned the entire spectrum of greens and yellows with the occasional flash of blues, pinks, and whites.

Katara instantly made her way towards the blues and whites, her fingers trailing over the fabrics. It ranged from silks to high quality cottons and wools. Slowly, she picked out pale blues and deep indigos before she made her way to the dressing rooms.

Zuko leaned against the wall while Katara went and changed, his eyes surveying his surroundings to make sure no threat would come out and attack them. _What's he looking at?_ Zuko pondered, watching the male customer drool over Katara behind his companion's back. Zuko sent the man a well placed leer, waiting to catch his eye before jerking his head in the only other woman's direction. _I really don't understand people sometimes, _Zuko thought as he watched the couple coo over each other as the young woman lifted random things to her chest for her consort's approval.

"Zuko," Katara called several moments later as she pulled the curtain aside. "What do you think?"

Zuko felt his breath stolen away as he took in the vision that was Katara. A pale blue, almost white gown framed her lithe figure and growing curves. Over it a blue silk tunic rested, the deep v of the neck exposing her throat and the low rise of the almost white gown beneath it. A thick, pearl colored obi circled her waist snuggly with a smaller, deeper blue sash going over the top of it. Her new dagger was pinched firmly beneath the blue of the sash. Her shoulders were bare and low on her upper arms, just over her elbows were bands that secured her detached, billowing sleeves. The sleeves were of the same pale blue as her under dress, but they were hemmed with dark blue bubbles along the lower edges.

"You look…beautiful," Zuko breathed.

"Thank you," Katara blushed. "Although, it's missing something. What do you think it needs," Katara asked, twirling slowly so Zuko could get a full view. The light fabrics spiraled around her and twisted around her legs before settling back to its original placement.

Zuko licked his lips in thought, his mind struggling valiantly to be of use and answer her question. But all he could think about was how truly breathtaking she was. Zuko watched Katara twirl again with hungry eyes, his golden orbs roving over the glimpses of Katara's bare legs exposed by the knee high and ankle high slits up the sides of her gowns. "You need different shoes," Zuko said finally, his voice coming out deeper than intended.

"That's a given," Katara chuckled, "But does it need anything else?"

"You look perfect," Zuko decided, checking her out again. _Where has she been hiding those?_ Zuko pondered as his eyes honed in on her bust.

"Thank you, I'll go change now," Katara announced, oblivious to the drool that had accumulated in the mouths of her other male viewers.

"You do that," Zuko agreed. He shot both the cashier and the male patron a threatening look, one that they chose to obey. Several moments later, Katara was by his side and leading him to the cash register.

"Hi," Katara greeted cutely. "How much are these?" Her cheeks were painted with a pretty blush and her eyes took a smoldering hue.

"Um..uh, t-t-, they're um," the older teen stuttered and fumbled with his words, his eyes everywhere on Katara as if he wasn't sure where to look. Somewhere behind her, Zuko growled menacingly but he went unnoticed as the cashier's eyes met hers. "They're twenty gold pieces."

"Really," Katara pouted, her entire form wilting as she looked at the clothes with longing. Her shoulders slumped and her lower lip jutted out slightly as she turned away from the teen.

"Why don't I make it fifteen gold coins," the teen stammered, feeling his heart wrench at Katara's eyes that seemed to glass over. She peeked at him through her thick lashes, pulling her lower lip into her mouth as if to think about the price. If at all possible, her shoulders slumped even more.

"Maybe some other time." Katara made a move to trudge away, looking for all intents and purposes like she'd given up.

"Seven," The boy exclaimed, "I'll sell it to you for seven gold coins, just, please don't cry."

A triumphant smirk, seen only by Zuko, flashed onto her face before it was hidden away by a watery smile. He was as good as hers. "Really, you don't mind," Katara whimpered, clasping her hands together and biting her lip hopefully, but deep inside Katara was struggling in vain to keep from laughing at how gullible the cashier was. _I must thank Suki for teaching me this trick! Guys really do fall for the damsel in distress bit._

"Of course I don't mind," the teen assured before folding her purchases and wrapping them. He then pulled a bag from beneath the counter and placed the clothing inside; slipping something else in as well in what he hoped what a sneaky fashion.

Katara smiled brightly, accepting the bag once she placed the golden coins into his waiting palms. His fingers reached up and trailed along Katara's palm as she pulled away. Katara managed to keep her expression set in a smile, though part of her wanted to scream that she was already involved with someone. _Maybe I shouldn't use that trick again…_

Katara waved good bye before both she and Zuko left the shop. The door didn't even close before Zuko reached into the bag in search for whatever was slipped into the bag. His hands came up with a piece of parchment.

"Meet me here at sundown, Ken," Zuko read aloud. Zuko felt his lip twitch as heat radiated from his form. He marched two steps forward so that the Ken could see him through the window when Zuko ripped the page. _The nerve of some people, it was obvious she was with someone,_ Zuko thought as he growled deep in his throat.

"I win," Katara bragged, not in the least bit perturbed by Zuko's actions.

"Yeah, yeah, you win. Where did you learn that anyway?" Zuko knew the entire time that she was acting, but at the same time he'd fallen for it hook line and sinker.

"Toph and Suki had both learned to use what they've got to their advantage," Katara began as she linked arms with Zuko. "By appealing to the need to protect and provide, usually by playing the damsel in distress. Truth-be-told, that's the first time I did that," Katara laughed.

"I see," Zuko nodded, the trick was a brilliant one and, as shown by Katara, it actually worked. But the act could backfire. Thinking about Ken's note, Zuko growled but was grateful that the backfiring was mild. That guy only wanted a date…hopefully.

"Toph's the best at it though," Katara continued. "She can read people like a book and knows whether to act cute or to over work the fact that she's blind."

"That I have no trouble believing." Zuko shook his head at the knowledge. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to witness any of their money saving ploys while he traveled with them, but the fact that Katara did it was a bit of a shocker.

"Do you want to keep looking around, or would you like a change of scenery?" Katara offered.

"Just one more thing, then we can go. We should probably be getting lunch anyway," Zuko answered, his eyes scanning the venders in search of whatever special something he was looking for. They searched through the road for several minutes longer before they stumbled onto a little vendor at the end of the road.

"What are you looking for," Katara asked finally. Most of the items sold were hair ornaments and other, simpler accessories. One in particular that caught her eye was a pair of white metal hair sticks that slowly morphed into a spiral along the thicker ends. The ends formed crescent moons with small pearls fastened to their centers. From where the moons and spiral met on the hair sticks, silver chains with a few more pearls and small silver coins dangled.

Zuko watched her with a keen eye before turning to the woman that sold the trinkets. "I'll have those please, along with the matching beads."

"A fine choice," the smiling crone smiled matronly. "Thirty silver coins please," she requested.

"Zuko," Katara gasped, finally realizing what he was doing. "You really don't have to."

"You said the outfit was missing something," Zuko reminded her. "Just think of this as a bribe."

"A bribe? Why would you need to bribe me?" Katara questioned as she watched Zuko pay the woman two gold coins in the place of the silver.

"So you don't make me look bad during the peace talks." Zuko placed the hair ornaments into Katara's bag before they left the elderly woman. The two went to the nearby tea stand and claimed seating at one of the tables.

"All right," Katara agreed. "But I'm paying for lunch. It's your birthday and it's not right for you to be treating me to stuff. It should be the other way around." Katara dared Zuko to argue with her and was happy to see Zuko slump his shoulders in defeat.

"Very well."

* * *

The next morning, Katara awoke at the slamming of her bedroom door. To her right, she checked to see if Toph was okay only to discover that her bed was empty and her sleeping clothes were in a heap on the floor. That could only mean one thing, the house was empty and Toph was finally taking a bath. Warning bells sounded within Katara's head when she realized the day and time, prompting her to spring up from her own bed and charge out of the room in hopes of finding any of her companions. Finding no one, Katara rushed to the door of the washroom and yanked it open. She didn't even bother knocking since Toph knew that Katara was the only person who would do that.

"Where is everyone," Katara inquired, spying Toph in the tub scrubbing away at the grime beneath her feet.

"They left already," Toph growled, a slew of inaudible curses and insults streaming from her lips. She was not a happy girl. No one had thought to pop in and let them know the time so now she was on a major time crunch. What was worse was the fact that she had to take a bath and she wasn't sure if she was clean enough yet.

"All of them? Why didn't they wake us up?" Katara took over Toph's cleaning, removing the sponge from the smaller girl's hand and tossing it aside. She then bent the water around Toph's body, leaving only her face clear. Katara worked the water and soap over Toph's skin, gently lifting the dirt and grime and washing away the BO that was starting to become noticable.

"How should I know?" Toph stretched her arms out to make it easier for Katara to bath her, grateful to the older girl's help. "Am I clean now?"

"Yes, you're clean," Katara answered before stripping herself of her own clothes and streaming clean water from the tub. She gave herself a quick scrub from head to toe before tossing it back. She then grabbed the remaining fluffy towel present and wrapped it around Toph's frame, reclaiming her dirty tunic and pulling it over her own head so she wouldn't have to walk around the house naked either. The two scurried back into their shared room before stripping down again and digging through their bags to find clean underclothes.

"Would you like a hand," Katara offered while she bound herself and slipped on her leggings.

"Um…no?" The statement came out more like a question. Toph ruffled through her bag in search of her old dress, the one she wore as a disguise when they first came to the Earth Kingdom to be exact.

"I'll be there in a second," Katara sighed with a smile, dressing herself in the outfit she had purchased with Zuko. She struggled a bit with the obi and sash, trying to keep the folds neat with the added weight of her water pouches and her new dagger. Once finished, she loosened her hair and ran her fingers through it to rid herself of the tangles. With the use of her new pins, Katara twisted her hair into a sloppy bun, not really having the time to care that some of her hair came loose. Pulling the beads from her hairline, Katara quickly replaced them with the ones that matched the hair sticks. When her hair loopies were in place, Katara made her way to Toph's side, who had managed to at least get the lower dress on without any mishap.

Once Toph stopped struggling with the fabric of the outer layer, Katara was able to wrap it around her, surprised to find that it had become snug around her. Katara thought to comment on Toph's physical development, but decided against it. Toph hated it when people made a big deal about her increasing femininity because it always made her feel as if she was being made fun of. Not that Katara would ever make fun of her, but the boys… Sokka and Aang often had a field day at her expense, all starting with the appearance of her 'spider-fly bites' as she liked to call them.

"I can't believe this is finally happening," Katara said in hopes of sparking up conversation. She worked her fingers through Toph's hair at a considerably tamer pace than with her own since Toph had a very sensitive scalp.

"It took long enough," Toph agreed, reaching up to try and figure out what Katara was putting on her head.

"It's a flower," Katara explained before swatting the searching appendages. "I'm almost done." Katara gave Toph's hair a final twist and secured the elaborate coil with a golden ribbon and a string of semi precious stones she had found in Toph's bag.

"Do… Do I look okay?" Toph didn't usually care for her appearance, or at least she didn't show it. But whenever she and Katara were alone, especially in times like this, Toph's poor self image would rear its ugly head and fill her with doubt. Was she ugly? Could she compare to the reported beauty of the oblivious Katara?

"You look beautiful," Katara beamed, wrapping her arms around Toph's shoulders in a platonic hug. "Let's go, we don't have much time left."

The two left the house hand in hand and ran most of the way to the grand palace, slowing only when the faces of other delegates came into view. The continued rushing though, hoping to find someone they knew, or better yet their friends that were still missing from their sights.

"This way, I think I found Twinkle Toes," Toph announced, taking the lead and jerking Katara into another run. She led Katara down the main hall and to the left towards the room where this part of the peace talks would be held. Farther down the hall they could see Toph's parents and farther still, they could see Aang and Sokka in deep conversation with Katara's father.

"I'll catch up with you in a few," Toph said suddenly, releasing her hold on Katara's hand so she could join with her biological family*.

Katara just nodded and continued towards her father, brother, and boyfriend with sure and almost angry steps. "Guys," Katara called in a huff. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"What do you mean," Hakoda questioned, surprised to see his daughter before him and dressed in such finery.

"For the Summit," Katara clarified, her tone wilting with confusion. Both Aang and Sokka turned away from her as if they were ashamed. Both refused to look Katara in the eyes and suddenly she was filled with dark suspicions. "You didn't forget me, did you?"

"I'm sorry, Katara, but you're not allowed to partake in the talks." Hakoda braced himself for the response he knew was coming. He had hoped that Katara would have slept through the morning so he wouldn't have to deliver such news to his baby girl, but it seemed the spirits had thought to make a mockery of his plans.

"What? What do you mean I can't go," Katara demanded loudly, not caring who heard her.

"I wish I could bring you in with me," Hakoda insisted in an attempt to soothe his irate daughter. "But the other tribes won't take kindly to your presence."

"Why? Because I'm a girl," Katara spat, daring her father to tell her otherwise.

"Yes," he said plainly.

"Katara, just drop it," Sokka interrupted. He felt sorry for his sister, he truly did, but yelling wasn't going to change anything. "Dad and I already spoke to the other tribesmen and they practically laughed at us for even suggesting that you be allowed in."

"But I'm the Avatar's teacher. I fought along side all of them in this war. I fought just as hard to end this war as everyone else, but because I'm a girl I can't be a part of bringing peace? That's not fair," Katara argued.

"What do you want me to do? Have all the neighboring tribes ostracize us just so you can sit on a cushion? You can't come in with us and that's final," Hakoda barked. He didn't mean to snap, but this was something that had been eating away at him for a while and his nerves couldn't take much more, especially with all things considered.

"Then I won't go in with you as a water tribe delegate, I can go in with Aang as his console," Katara shot back before turning to her boyfriend with fire in her eyes. "You'll let me in, right?"

Aang visibly shrank under Katara's gaze before he held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I don't want to cause trouble for you and your family. I'm sure that during the next summit we can convince the tribes to accept you amongst them. Till then, I promise to let you know everything that happens, that way you won't miss anything," Aang offered in an attempt to placate his girlfriend.

"That's not the same! I have as much a right as you guys to be in there," Katara cried, raw fury at the injustice of it all building within her breast.

"No, Katara. You have more of a right. But the fact of the matter is that the tribesmen don't see that. In their eyes you're just a girl." Sokka corrected.

"We'll see you at the ball after the meetings," Hakoda informed resolutely before placing a hand on Sokka's shoulder, signaling to him that it was time to go in.

"Sorry sis," Sokka apologized, his heart breaking at the angry tears his sister fought desperately not to shed.

"I'll see you later?" Aang wanted to cry when Katara wouldn't even look at him. "I promise to tell you everything that happens," Aang tried again.

"Just go Aang," Katara commanded before turning sharply on her heel and storming away, pale blue and deep indigo billowing behind her like a storm cloud.

"You're not allowed in either," came Toph's voice. Judging by her expression, she had experienced a similar argument with her own father.

"It's not fair, we were part of the war too," Katara vented venomously.

"Like that counts for anything," nodded Toph, her sightless eyes set in a glare. "So what now…"

"What are you two doing out here? The meeting starts in a few minutes," A familiar voice called.

"They won't let us in," Katara growled, refusing to face Zuko as he approached her from a side hallway. Behind him trailed his chosen delegates and ambassadors and the grinning King Bumi. Judging by their pleasant expressions, their earlier meeting must have went well.

"Why?" Zuko was genuinely appalled by the news. If it weren't for the two young women before him, the war would still be going on, or worse; his father would have won.

"Pops said its no place for children," was Toph's response.

"My tribesmen won't accept me amongst them because I'm a girl," Katara sniffed, her anger evaporating like the morning dew beneath the rising sun.

"Come on, the King is expecting us." Zuko claimed both their arms in his and led them back the way from which Katara came. King Kuei had specifically asked for all of the Gaang to be there and he'd be damned if he allowed Toph and Katara not to be allowed in. Besides, without Katara there to keep him in check, Zuko wasn't as sure that he'd be on his best behavior, especially with this little fiasco.

The three entered without any trouble and both Toph and Katara ignored their families as they claimed their seats next to Zuko; Katara to his right, Toph to his left. They waited for the rest of the nobles to file in and claim their seats, all the while disregarding the glares sent their way.

Katara could feel the heat of many eyes leering down at her, making the hairs along her arms stand on end. She knew she was virtually slapping all her people in the face by defying her father's orders, but right then she couldn't bring herself to care. She shifted in her seat, trying to make herself more comfortable under their scrutiny. Slowly her fidgeting increased as she felt the glares of many more directed at her. Heat enveloped her uncomfortably as sweat began to bead at her palms. She balled her fists on her lap, wringing the fabric there mercilessly within her hands.

Zuko, unnerved by her fidgeting, placed a calming hand over hers in an attempt to still her. Instantly he felt her relax under his touch and he was secretly pleased by this fact. He scooted his cushion closer to hers discreetly so that the placement of his arm could be easily concealed.

"Thank you," Katara mouthed, lacing her fingers with his and holding his hand in a vice-like grip. With the touch of Zuko's hand giving her courage, Katara lifted her head high and scanned the faces of her loved ones. The first to fall under her gaze were her tribesmen, most wearing expressions of open disdain and rage. Some even whispered amongst themselves and pointed, gesturing between Katara and her family farther down the table. For once, Katara was glad her hearing was not as fine tuned as Toph's or Zuko's, for she knew that their words would send her running in tears.

Her father's expression was no better. Angry couldn't begin to describe him. His fists, which rested on the long table's smooth surface, were clenched tight until her knuckles were white with the force. His shoulders were squared off, as if in preparation to go into battle. His jaw was clenched tight. His stormy hues jumped between Katara and his fellow tribesman as if unsure who was the greater threat.

_At least I still have Sokka, _Katara thought with a small smile tugging at her lips. Sokka struggled valiantly to maintain a stern continence, but the grin won out in the end and he was forced to hold his hand up so his father wouldn't see it. Once he was sure that no one was looking in his direction, he sent his baby sister a 'thumbs up.' He was then distracted by Suki, who entered the meeting hall with three of her commanders; all dressed in their Kyoshi warrior regalia.

Aang was a different story all together, and Katara didn't even want to spare him a glance. Instead her eyes just glossed over him in hopes of finding another familiar face. From what she did see of him though, panic was starting to set in as his eyes darted back and forth between her and her kinsman as if expecting a battle to break out amongst them. Katara found King Bumi a few seats down from Aang and was happy to return the wave sent in her direction.

Silence reigned over all present when King Kuei finally made his grand entrance, his pet bear, Bosco, close behind him.

Aang watched on, shocked over the fact that Katara had allied herself with Zuko, of all people. _Why's she sitting so close to __him,_Aang seethed, _and why won't she look at me?_ He was oblivious to the conversations going on around him, his only focus solely on Katara. She and Zuko were whispering into each other's ears and all Aang could think was that Katara was acting out against him. But why would she do such a thing? Aang stared poignantly at Katara in hopes of catching her eye, maybe then she would see how much he cared and she'd stop cuddling up to Zuko's side. But alas, that was not so. There was no room in her attentions for him, so evenly split they were between the plans and treaties presented and the Lord that she sat against.

The meeting had gone on without a much of a hitch… sort of. Some time into the meeting, one of Katara's tribesmen made the comment about Katara's influence within the Fire Nation because she had his "ear." She was oblivious to the innuendo directed at her, and swiftly countered that it was better to have his ear and have a voice, than to have nothing and be silenced. For those that knew nothing of Katara's innocence, the response went over well with the other nations present and the opinion formed in her favor was increasingly positive due to the illusion of whit she presented.

But regardless of what the people that didn't know Katara thought, those that did know her, minus the oblivious Aang and Toph, were outraged by what was said. Zuko was especially livid, not because the man had inadvertently said that he was wrapped around Katara's finger, which he kind of was, but because they had the audacity to slander Katara's name and lead others to question her virtue. Were Katara not there to keep him in check with a ruthless pinch and the promise of a painful death, Zuko would have reverted to his younger years and lashed out. He really wanted too, but he would not embarrass her or himself with such a display. No matter how satisfying it would feel. Zuko did slide in several snide and demeaning comments of his own while presenting legitimate offers and plans for the peace treaties, but it wasn't as fulfilling.

The first of many meetings aside, the Gaang and the rest of the delegates and ambassadors had left to prepare for the feast that had been prepared in the honor of peace.

* * *

"Katara, are you still mad at me," Aang whispered while King Kuei gave his introductory speech.

Katara didn't answer; she just pressed her finger to her lips to silence him. She was still mad at him for not sticking up for her when she'd spent most of his reawakening putting her neck out for him. _All Aang had to do was say that I was there as his council, that's it, _Katara seethed. She kept her eyes focused on the Earth King, hoping that Aang would get the hint that she wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

The speech ended with a round of applause and the band had struck a lively chord. Instantly people rose from their seats and wandered around to mingle with the delegates and their families. Suki and her three commanders were giggling at Sokka and one of his improved jokes and dry sarcasm. Ty Lee was teaching Bosco a few tricks as she balanced herself on his back, holding herself up with just the palm of her hand. Her skirt was flipped over her head obscenely, revealing her leggings that she always wore under dresses whenever she had to wear them. Zuko was conversing with Mai's family, the said girl clinging to his arm and sending several of the delegates' daughters' frosty glares. It seemed that her jealous streak had increased upon realizing that the scar wasn't enough of a deterrent for women anymore. Toph was slowly making her way over to the tables, an annoyed expression plastered onto her face since she'd just had a small fight with her parents again.

"What was it about this time?" Katara scooted away from Aang so that Toph could claim the spot between them.

"The usual," Toph replied, "They don't want me to ever undermine their authority again. Blah, blah-blah, you're blind. Blah. But on the plus side, I'm allowed to go to the rest of the meetings since they see me as an in with the Fire Lord."

"So what body part did they give you since his "ears" are mine," Katara giggled. She had figured out what they had meant a little while after her 'witty comeback' and she still felt as if her face hadn't returned to its normal color.

"I claim his…whichever part that doesn't mean a private part," Toph finished lamely since she knew nothing of innuendoes. Not yet at least, but Toph had decided to add them to her repertoire of insults and jokes.

"Elbow," Zuko gave, entering the conversation happily since he'd managed to squirm out of Mai's family's grasp. "You can claim my elbow, I have yet to hear anything lewd made out of that."

"Thanks Sparky. Katara, please write my name on both his elbows," Toph requested with her nose in the air and her eyes closed in a comical mimicry of the aristocracy present.

"After the party," Katara said.

"Wait…where will you write your name on him, his ears or his-"

"Okay Toph, why don't you and Aang go off and play a few pranks," Zuko interrupted with his hand clamped over Toph's mouth. Both his and Katara's cheeks were painted a bright red and they refused to meet each other's eyes.

"What? What are you guys talking about," Aang demanded, not understanding what was going on. He knew it had something to do with Zuko's ears, but outside of that he was completely clueless.

"Come on Twinkle Toes, I've spotted the perfect victim over there." Toph proceeded to drag Aang away towards a couple of the water tribesman that had insulted Katara sat. _Revenge will be sweet. Nobody insults Sugar Queen but me!_

"So…" Katara stammered nervously, pulling some of her loose hair over her shoulders to run her fingers through it.

"So…" Zuko repeated. "How did you like your first day of the summit?"

"It was…informative." Katara blushed. "I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't mean for you to be insulted like that."

"It wasn't your fault, besides; people always seem to think we're together. I've gotten used to it," Zuko admitted.

"Yeah, you're right," Katara nodded.

The two sat side by side in an awkward silence, both hating the fact that they were made to feel self conscious about their friendship.

"Do you want to dance," Zuko asked several moments later when his eyes landed on the only other Fire Nation delegate that brought his daughter along. Mai was nowhere to be seen and there was no other way to get away from the man before he shoved his daughter onto Zuko. Zuko was in no mood to shatter the hopes of another potential bride who aims to become the next Fire Lady.

"Um, sure." At first, Katara didn't' understand why Zuko was asking her to the dance floor when just moments ago he stated that people always assumed that they were an item. But then she saw the delegate and his daughter quickly approaching the table the two shared. "I'd be delighted."

Taking her hand in his, Zuko lead Katara away from the table and onto the dance floor just as the music began to change into an upbeat melody. Katara blushed brightly as she felt the sudden surge of panic spread through her. She didn't know the first thing about ballroom dancing. The most dancing she'd done in her life was with Aang during his impromptu dance party _I highly doubt that kind of dancing would be appropriate for here, _Katara panicked. Her feet started to slow and sweat started to accumulate along her palms and the back of her neck. _I'll embarrass us both._

"Don't worry so much," Zuko soothed. He pulled Katara closer to his side, tucking her under his arm as he guided her through the dancing couples and to a poorly lit section of the ballroom.

"I just realized I can't dance," Katara admitted shyly.

"I have trouble believing that," Zuko scoffed, turning Katara to face him with his guiding hand on the small of her back. He pulled her even smaller hand onto his shoulder before replacing his hand on her lower back. Taking her other hand, Zuko started to lead her through the basic steps.

Katara kept her eyes downcast onto his feet, watching and matching his steps as best as she could. _Left foot, right foot, left, right, forward, turn. _She counted the steps in her head, looking for the pattern and trying time herself with the music. _This isn't so bad…_ Katara miscalculated, her slippered foot stepping on Zuko's toes.

"I'm sorry," Katara gasped, snapping her head up to meet his eyes.

"It's alright," Zuko chuckled.

"I guess I'm no good, huh?" Katara looked away in embarrassment, her feet following Zuko's lead without her conscious effort.

"You're doing fine, just don't think about it," Zuko advised before twirling her away and pulling her back into his arms, making Katara giggle with delight. Zuko grinned, grasping Katara's hips and lifting her off the floor before spinning her around.

"Zuko," Katara protested half heartedly, feeling a rush course through her heart at the way Zuko handled her. Her feet soon rejoined with the floor and the music increased its tempo into a livelier beat. Katara twirled from Zuko's grasp, her steps light and fun as she danced away from him. She turned again and there he was, matching her steps with a flourish of his own. He twirled Katara back into his arms. Their hands joined again and the music picked up, keeping time with their dance. Zuko pulled her body flush with his before dropping her into a backwards dip, Katara's thighs clamped around his hips to help keep herself up.

A familiar pair of orange clad legs jutted from the ceiling of Katara's current world. Katara snapped her body back against Zuko's before removing herself from his embrace. "Hi, Aang." Was she still angry? A little, but she was slowly getting over it.

"What are you doing," Aang demanded of Katara as he glared viciously at Zuko, jealousy eating away at his heart.

"We're dancing," Katara blinked. _Where's that coming from, _Katara pondered since she'd never seen such hostility coming from Aang while outside of the Avatar state.

"Mind if I cut in then," Aang asked, his eyes turning hopeful.

"Nope," Toph answered in Katara's place. "Our prank is about to go off and you have to stay with me for our getaway." Toph wrapped her arms around Aang's before pulling him away. "You guys have fun," she sang over her shoulder. The two then vanished as quickly as they came into the forest of moving bodies.

"He and I really need to have that talk," Zuko groaned. _It's like Ba Sing Se all over again._

"Let's make our way over there, I want to see what Toph pulled," Katara requested.

Zuko pulled her back into his arms before they danced their way closer to the delegates' tables. They arrived just in time for an explosion of dirt and stone as the ground sank beneath the feet of the water tribesman. The floor collapsed beneath their feet, dumping them into a thick pool of slurry that seemed to slurp down the tribesman. They shouted and they pleaded for help only to have their cries answered by the loud and bordering on obnoxious laughter of Toph, the evil mastermind behind their fall. Aang crouched down to the ground next to her, peering down into the murky mess that he had helped Toph in creating with a sense of guilt. Curses and swears were shouted from the muck, but no one thought to help them out. No one wanted to ruin their good clothes for the sake of foreigners, and the ones that did know the tribesmen didn't really care. They were of the belief that the punishment was deserved for the insult delivered onto the tribal princess Katara.

"Should we help them out?" Katara couldn't help but smirk at the scene presented before her, her eyes alight with mirth.

"I'm sure some of the Royal Earthbender Guards will fish them out," Zuko assured. Several minutes later, Zuko was proven right when the three Water Tribe Chiefs were pulled out and the hole was bent shut. During this time, Zuko and Katara danced, their movements resuming their playfulness as the music's tempo picked up again.

"I hope their okay," Katara murmured, steeling a glance in the direction of the sealed up hole.

"I hope their not," Zuko voiced, spinning Katara so that her back pressed against his chest. He kept one hand on her hip while the other pressed the back of his hand against her palm.

"It was just the one comment, and besides, they did present some good ideas," Katara defended, twirling outward with the fingers of their joint hands lacing together. The two took a few steps forward, mimicking the steps of the people around them. The two then turned in opposite directions as if to roll against each other's back, freeing their hands before lacing the fingers of their opposite hands together and walking to steps back to where they started. Their palms came together and the two continued their dance with just their hands touching.

"Their ideas were okay, but selfish at the same time. They were aiming to help their own individual tribes as compared to making a deal that benefited all," Zuko yielded once he brought Katara back up from a shallow dip.

"That's to be expected. During the war, the Southern Water tribes became more and more isolated. It's why we had so many little villages as compared to the large city of our sister tribe up north," Katara explained, resting her head against his shoulder as they danced.

"That makes sense," Zuko acquiesced. "But that doesn't give them an excuse to insult you the way they did."

"It doesn't, but I am a girl. In a lot of the tribes, the only thing a girl should be allowed to do is domestic chores and making babies. That's why dad didn't let me in as a water tribe delegate. My entering the meeting said to them that I was shirking my womanly responsibilities."

"I wish I could understand that logic, but I just can't. You entering and wishing to be a part of bringing peace to the world doesn't make you any less of a woman, it makes you more so." Zuko dropped her hand in favor of pulling Katara into an embrace.

"Thank you," Katara whispered, wrapping her arms around Zuko's neck and allowing her to guide her through the slowing melody. "I just wish everyone thought the same."

"If they don't, then you'll make them see," Zuko promised, having complete faith that she could prove her worth to the world a hundred times over. "You trained the Avatar, didn't you? That alone warrants you way more respect than any of these pompous politicians. You're a waterbending master."

"Sometimes that isn't enough, to them I am just the 'Avatar's Girlfriend," Katara frowned dejectedly. She tucked her head under Zuko's chin in search of warmth and comfort, the truth of her words making her and her accomplishments feel unimportant. With blurring eyes, Katara watched as the dance floor slowly began to empty. _It must be getting late, _Katara sighed as an empty feeling tried to creep into her heart.

"You're more then that and you know it," Zuko argued, tightening his hold around Katara's form. "The war would have never ended without you."

"I'm sure Aang would have saved the world even without my help," Katara replied.

"You put too much faith in him," Zuko breathed. "He would still be sleeping in some iceberg somewhere and I'd still be fighting desperately for my father's approval. We're nothing without you. I…He's nothing without you," Zuko corrected. He glanced away from Katara's soft head of brown in hopes that no one caught his slip up.

"Sometimes I wonder." Katara gasped at her admission, instantly regretting her words.

"He would do anything for you, he loves you." There was a part of Zuko that didn't want to talk about Aang and his affections. A part that held Aang responsible for coming in between Katara and him and what could have been. _What should have been, _Zuko found himself thinking. _But the past is the past. I've made my choices and she made hers. Not that it's all bad, I'm happy with the way things turned out…_ For some reason, those words felt hollow within his mind*.

"I know he does, but there are times when I feel more like Aang's mother or sister instead of his girlfriend. I'm always chasing after him and making sure that he's happy that I sometimes wonder if…"

"If what," Zuko pressed, slowing their dance so he could focus solely on her.

"If we're ready for this kind of relationship." Katara refused to meet Zuko's gaze in that moment. Nervously she searched the thinning crowd, fearing that the young airbender would have heard her admission. Relief filled her when she didn't' see the familiar bald head and blue arrow; she didn't see anyone she really knew at all.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to date him?"

"How are you and Mai doing," Katara inquired in a blatant shift of topics. Zuko's question was one that she was not ready or willing to answer, not even to herself. She wasn't ready for the answer.

Zuko let the change of subject slide, sensing Katara's unease on the matter. But at the same time, he didn't know if his love life was a safer topic for them to discuss since he wasn't as sure about it as when he re-entered it. "We're…fine," Zuko said finally.

Katara looked up in search of his amber orbs, only to frown at discovering their aversion. _Looks like I'm not the only one with doubts. _Katara reached up to caress Zuko's scarred cheek, grabbing his attention as she did so. "Is everything okay?"

"What does it matter, everything is as it should be." Even to Zuko the words sounded empty and tasted too much like a lie.

"It matters to me," Katara confessed with a faint blush. "You're my friend and I'm always here for you to talk to when you're ready."

"Thank you, but like you, it's something I'm not ready to talk about."

"Still haven't figured it out yet, huh," Katara gave, her fingers tracing down his cheek and along his jaw before draping over Zuko's shoulder.

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. "Why don't we get some fresh air?"

"That sounds nice right about now," Katara agreed, taking Zuko's offered arm and allowing herself to be lead to the nearest balcony.

"The truth is, nothing has changed between Mai and me," Zuko sighed as he made his way to the marble banister. He braced his palms against the smooth stone and took in the view of the city at night. "I try to talk to her but all she seems interested in is ordering servants around and…"

"It's alright, you can say it. I'm a big girl now," Katara smirked half heartedly, coming to terms with the fact that Zuko and Mai didn't hold the same values as she did.

"Yeah, you are," Zuko consented with a look of appreciation. "All Mai wants is to do is have sex with me, and that's fine and all, but she just lays there. Sure every now and then she'll do something, but I'm the one doing all the work," Zuko growled. A trail of smoke slithered from between his lips as his anger slowly took over, not letting him feel embarrassed about the conversation. "She claims she loves me, but she doesn't take the time to get to know me or to understand the way I think. She hardly even lets me know what she's thinking. Most of the time I just feel like a means to an ends for her."

"I'm sure she does love you. Didn't you say that she stood up to Azula for your sake? That takes a lot," Katara offered. She placed a soothing hand on Zuko's back, rubbing soothing circles and ignoring the heat that radiated from his tense body.

"I know, but at the same time I'm not always so sure. Maybe she's right, maybe I am too emotional."

"Well, what do you expect? Emotions aren't meant to be bottled up all the time and you can only take so much before you explode. Believe me, I know. I may not know much about the sex thing," Katara blushed, the very word feeling taboo on her lips, "but I do know that a relationship can't last if you don't talk to each other."

"I know that, and I've tried, but she just doesn't care!" Flames licked Zuko's lips as he stared heatedly out to the moon's sliver.

"Then try a different approach. There must be something that you both enjoy doing…aside from the sex I mean," at least, Katara hoped. The very thought of having a relationship revolve around sex bothered her. The very thought about having sex at all bothered her, but that was probably because the very thought of it scared her.

"The only thing other than that she enjoys is fighting. Everything else bores her. But I've tried to get her to spar with me, but she insists that it would be 'inappropriate." Zuko folded his arms and rested his forearms against them in defeat.

"Why? We sparred all the time," Katara brought up.

"No, we fought all the time before you finally forgave me, we've only sparred three times since," Zuko validated, peeking over his arms with a smirk.

"Tomato, tomah-to," Katara shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that we used each other to improve," Katara puffed, sticking her nose in the air snootily.

"You're right, we did." Zuko watched as Katara claimed the spot next to him and yawned, her head lolling to the side and pressing against his shoulder. "Tired?"

"Yeah," Katara yawned again. "But we can keep talking; I've got another hour or so in me."

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Like you said, Mai loves me."

"And you love her, right," Katara murmured tiredly. She sighed contently when she felt Zuko's arms wrap around her shoulders, protecting her from the chill of the night.

"Let's get back, you're tired."

Katara hummed her agreement. Zuko adjusted his hold around Katara before steering Katara back into the ballroom. Their movements were slow, deterred by their heavy limps and sleep filled minds. Zuko was doing a better job at staying awake, but no matter how hard Katara tried she was just so tired. She yawned again, her mouth opening wide as tired tears beaded at the corners of her eyes.

"I thought waterbenders rose with the moon," Zuko teased before yawning himself*.

"Shut up," Katara said, swatting his hand playfully. "It was a long day and it's almost the new moon," her statement was punctuated by another yawn. "Besides, we danced a lot longer than it seemed. I'm not used to it is all."

"No need to defend yourself," Zuko assured. "Would you like for me to carry you the rest of the way?"

"No thank you, I can walk." Katara gave her cheeks a couple rough pats and forced her eyes to stay focused.

* * *

"Looks like no one's back yet," Zuko announced as he scanned the dark house he had been given. "Wait here, I'm gonna make sure we don't have any unwanted guests." Zuko leaned Katara against the front door and made sure her dagger was present before lighting all the candles and torches in the main room. He then stalked into the hall that led to all the rooms, opening each door systematically and scanning the interior, lighting the candles as he went. Once satisfied that there was no one there and everything was where it belonged, Zuko went back to half-asleep Katara and lead her to the room she shared with Toph.

"Thanks Zuko, I had fun." Too tired to think against it, Katara rose to the tips of her toes in an attempt to give Zuko a friendly kiss on the cheek goodnight. But just as her lips almost made contact with the scar on his cheek, he turned his head towards her slightly. His lips brushed against hers and she was lost.

It was as if in that one instant they lost complete and total control over their bodies, their emotions, their everything, as their lips fought desperately to remain joined. Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, her hands twisting into his hair. Zuko's arms looped around Katara's waist, dangerously low, pulling her flush against his body. Without an obvious invitation, Zuko's tongue slid between Katara's parted lips, sliding against hers in its exploration of her mouth. Their tongues later engaged in a heated dance for dominance, neither relenting as they writhed against each other, committing the taste to memory.

Both separated quickly, as if in recoil from a shock when they realized what they were doing. Red in the face and short of breath, the two stared at each other in awe and wanting, but then the look was replaced by mutual shame and guilt.

"G-good night," Katara stammered as she fiddled with the door behind her.

"Sleep well," Zuko replied, dropping his amber gaze from her cerulean one. He then made a hasty retreat to his room, needing to be away from Katara.

Katara watched him go through her lashes before she finally followed his example and entered her room. Tonight was going to be a long night, she just knew it.

* * *

*1 - Amarok is a giant wolf spirit born from Native American stories and legends. It is actually believed to be the giant wolf shown in the spirit world when Aang goes to visit.

*2 - Toph loves her parents, but she considers the Gaang her real family

*3 - Zuko's referring to the Crystal Catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se and the moment between him and Katara that had been interrupted by Aang, and no, he's not referring to almost losing his scar. I don't care what anyone else says, if Aang didn't show up, there would have been kissing involved.

* * *

Author's Note: I really hope someone catches my ode to another fanfic. Anyway, I'll let it be known now, this fic is NOT about an affair. What happened was just a slip up, an accident that I needed in order to finish setting up the story. So before people complain about how Katara and Zuko are too honorable to do such a thing, I already know. Trust me. I've got it all planned out. Anywho, please send me some reviews so I know if I'm doing something right...or wrong. Be critical...in a nice way. Flamers are unwelcome because I have quite the mean streak just waiting for a chance to let loose. Ciao!


	3. Chapter 1: Stormy Waters

Author's Note: So sorry about the long wait. My time management skills are greatly lacking. RnR!

* * *

The following morning, both Katara and Zuko continued as if nothing had happened. Katara, even with the kiss, still sat with Zuko during the meetings since she had nowhere else to sit due to the fact that she had been introduced as Zuko's council. Not that she minded, but both of them could not look each other in the eye without feeling heat ignite between them and the guilt that would replace the feeling almost instantly afterwards. That was how the week progressed and eventually it was time to head back to the Fire Nation.

It was unanimously decided that the entire Gaang would take the Fire Nation ship back to the capital, giving Appa an extension on his break.

Katara sighed deeply as she watched the sun set over the horizon. For the past few days she had been walking on eggshells. The awkwardness between Zuko and herself was becoming more and more noticeable and Toph was becoming more suspicious as the days progressed, and through her, everyone else was catching on.

The sound of a door opening startled Katara from her silent reverie, compelling her to turn to see who was behind her. Katara tensed when she saw that it was Zuko, the memory of his lips on hers warming her blood and quickening her pulse.

"Sorry," Zuko apologized upon noticing her presence. He made a move to turn and leave, not ready to be alone with Katara, something that the both had been avoiding for the past week.

"Don't," Katara called, suddenly becoming fed up with how everything was going. "Please, don't go."

Zuko sighed before he closed the door and joined her against the railing. "You okay?"

"Not really, no," Katara replied with a huff. "This is all so stupid. The kiss was an accident so why are we acting like this?"

"I don't know," Zuko admitted, breathing a sigh of relief as some of the tension between them dissipated. The two stood together in an almost comfortable silence, both watching the waves born from the ship slicing through the deep blue waters.

"Storm's coming," Katara announced out of the blue, ending the silence shared between the two.

"Looks like a big one," Zuko added. He placed a hand on Katara's arm before gesturing to the door. "Let's tell the captain and make sure everyone's secured."

Katara nodded in agreement, looping her arm through his and allowing Zuko to lead her around the ship towards the wheelhouse. The sounds of far off thunder served as the only warning sign to the incoming rains, even as the usual tell tale storm clouds were still too far off to see so late in the evening.

* * *

The storm that rocked the ship violently was on them faster than anyone had anticipated. Even with the early warning the crew had received they were still unprepared for the sudden violence that the ship had met.

"Mai," Mai's mother hysterical voice called, sounding high over the din of the passengers.

"Yes, mother," Mai replied in a bored tone. She turned within Zuko's secure hold, stumbling only slightly as the ship gave a violent jerk.

"I can't find Tom-Tom, is he with you?" The woman's eyes were filled with terror as she searched the faces of her daughter and her friends, but her heart began to seize when Tom-Tom's cherubic face was not amongst theirs.

"Where did you last see him?" Katara demanded, stepping away from Aang and Toph with determination and fear in her eyes.

"I don't know," Mai's mother cried. "I only took my eyes off of him for a second." Tears streamed from her eyes as panic worked its way throughout her body. She shook and wheezed, struggling for breath as she tried to maintain any semblance of control. She needed to find her baby.

"Calm down," Zuko suggested, releasing his hold on Mai and grasping the woman's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "You keep looking around here; he's probably lost amongst the crowd. I'll go look around the ship in case he managed to get out."

"I'm coming with you," Katara offered, before taking the lead towards the nearest doorway. Both she and Zuko struggled to maintain balance as they worked their way past all the terrified bodies.

"Wait for us," Sokka called as he followed after her with Toph and Suki close behind.

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Aang promised before following after his friends.

"What are you waiting for, go with them," Mai's mother demanded, her voice carrying and drawing the attention of many onlookers.

"Come on Ty Lee," Mai sighed, finding the whole situation an irritating nuisance.

The group made their way out of the Hold, where all the passengers and unneeded crewmen were herded with Appa, and split up in order to cover more ground along that deck. They would then meet up back the entrance to the Hold and if they didn't find him, they'd ascend to one of the higher decks and repeat the process. It was a solid idea at first, but the Gaang realized not to long after separating that almost all of the ship was impossible for Tom-Tom to navigate to without aid. With increasing horror, the Gaang realized that there was only one possible place Tom-tom could be.

The dark realization spurred the entire group onward as panic began to work its way into their hearts. Upwards the Gaang stumbled, all desperate to find the infant before it was too late and he was lost to the unforgiving sea. But as soon as they all reached the top deck, the ship gave a violent shake that was followed by screams of terror from the hold.

"What's going on?" Sokka demanded, catching Suki and Ty Lee before they could be slammed into the wall.

Toph dropped onto all fours and banged against the shivering metal of the Fire Nation ship before answering: "There's a hole in the ship. We've been sinking this whole time!"

"What?" The gaang cried.

"What about the passengers?" Aang questioned.

"The water just reached them," Toph answered, using her improving metal bending to guide her to the grate that served as the roof for the hold. "Help me," she commanded, jolting the Gaang into action as they tried to open the hold so Appa could fly all the passengers out of the potential watery prison.

Both Katara and Aang bent the water back down from where it was gushing upwards in an attempt to alleviate the mass terror that was throwing everyone into a desperate hysteria. All the while, everyone else managed to get the grating open and had jumped back down into the hold to get everyone onto Appa's back. Another explosion shook the ship, but it was nothing born from the storm.

"The ammunitions," Zuko cried, just as one of the hold's walls was blown asunder. Flames instantly began to dance and race along the debris, filling the almost black hold with its red light. More screams ensued, but none were louder than the terrified wail of a baby far off to their right.

"Tom-Tom!" Mai's mother screeched gesturing wildly towards the sound as she tried to fight her way through the crowd so she could get to her baby. "Mai, get Tom-Tom!" She could barely keep her hysterics from her voice as she continued to struggle. Mai saw this and nodded her understanding before breaking from the group and stumbling in the direction her mother indicated, alerting Katara to the child's location. Mai and Katara both discovered him to be trapped behind a couple of crates and barrels. They were the only things keeping him from being thrown over board, but an open flame was creeping towards his pinned form promised another death entirely. Both girls didn't think as they charged towards the wailing babe, the violent rocking of the ship doing nothing to deter their strides.

The moment the two got to his side, Tom-Tom's voice was already raw from crying. Mai shoved and kicked the crates and barrels in her fight to get to her baby brother while Katara bent the violent waves that wish to wash them away back. Another violent shake of the ship knocked Mai onto her side and slammed the crates together, forming a wall between her and the child.

"Mai!" Katara bent back another wave before she pulled Mai onto her feet and then both of them began shoving the crates aside with a renewed sense of urgency. Finally they reached the child and Mai wrapped her arms around his prone body. The two then turned and began running back towards the gaang that had managed to get everyone out and onto Appa's back. But before they could reach them, the gaffs of the ship snapped loose and came crashing down onto the deck. Both girls jumped apart in time to avoid being crushed by the falling beams, but Mai miscalculated and she became tangled with the ropes that had been yanked loose and fell.

Mai tightened her hold and curled her body around her brother instinctively, working on impulse as her back slammed against the railing. This left Mai winded and unable to move as the wood snapped and she and the babe were sent plummeting to the icy waters bellow.

"Mai! Tom-Tom!" Katara cried, coming to her senses in time to see them fall. She didn't think, her body just rose from the deck floor, ignoring the pain and she charged over to the edge of the ship and dove overboard. The frigid water shocked Katara's body into numbness, but Katara refused to allow that to stop her as she swam towards the two white faces that glared against the black sea. "Are you okay?" she shouted in askance, struggling to keep her head above water as she approached the two.

Mai struggled valiantly to keep both hers and her brother's heads afloat, but she was a weak swimmer to begin with and her clothes were tangling around her legs and making it impossible for Mai to stay afloat.

"Hang on," Katara commanded, finally getting close enough to the two to wrap her arm around them both. With her free hand, she fought to bend the greater waves away from the three of them, but it was becoming too much for her to handle on her own.

* * *

"Mai!" Zuko cried, watching in horror as she and her brother were thrown overboard, but what happened next made his heart stop. Katara raced across the deck and over the debris before diving overboard herself. "Katara!" He had to help them. He had to help Katara. So without another thought he ran to the railing and searched the angry sea for the heads of his loved ones. Once found, he dove over himself, leaving everyone else in a panic as they tried to save everyone else.

Zuko pumped his arms and legs against the waves in a desperate attempt to reach Katara, Mai and Tom-Tom, his movements strengthened by the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He swam his way over the breaking waves, Katara's bending keeping them from coming down over all their heads, until he finally reached them.

"Zuko," Katara panted as his body warmth ate away at the numbing cold around her.

"Are you all alright?" Zuko coughed, salty water splashing into his mouth as he grabbed hold of both Mai and Katara. His powerful legs kicked downward, helping Katara keep them all afloat.

"I think so," Mai wheezed, checking Tom-Tom whom had been knocked unconscious before the fall. "But Tom-Tom…"

"Will be fine," Zuko interrupted, taking over completely for Katara so she could use both arms to bend away a giant wave from them and the ship. "Climb onto my back."

Mai didn't wait to follow Zuko's command, wrapping an arm tightly around Zuko's neck while holding Tom-Tom above water.

Once his arm was free, Zuko punched into the air, sending a stream of searing hot flames into the air. He held the flame for as long as he could before repeating the action again and again, all the while holding Mai, Katara and Tom-Tom on his person and kicking the water to hold himself up.

"Zuko!" Aang's voice sounded like a ray of hope, coming form behind them.

"Aang," Katara cried in Zuko's stead, pumping her legs to alleviate Zuko's load.

"Katara!" A ball of fire came into view as Aang and the rest of the Gaang, including Ty Lee, sailed towards them on a large piece of metal and wood from the ship. "You're all okay."

"What about the passengers? And Appa?" Zuko inquired as he and Katara swam Mai and Tom-Tom towards the make shift raft.

"Aang had Appa fly all the survivors away from the ship," Sokka answered as he pulled and injured Ty Lee and terrified Toph closer to his sides.

Zuko did not like Sokka's choice of words, and judging by the forlorn looks on everyone's faces, there weren't that many if they could all fit on Appa's back. "What happened?"

"A lot of the crew was in the boiler room during the first explosion," Suki answered, tightening her hold on Toph who was wedged between her and Sokka. Toph had been the one to discover the fact and was distraught from the knowledge. All those bodies, floating lifeless beneath their feet with no one there to pull them from the wreckage and give them the proper burial and respects they deserved.

"We need to get to safety," Katara said finally. "Aang, help me," she commanded. The two then began to adjust their seating so that they could propel the makeshift raft forward.

"Which way," Aang questioned as he positioning himself along the side of the raft. His eyes searched for the horizon line, but the lack of light, even with the burning inferno that was now the ship, made it impossible to determine directions.

Zuko could see the panic building in the eyes of his companions before he came to a decision. He punched the air in front of him, a large fireball forming before it was sent flying ahead of them, lighting the way. Seeing nothing, Zuko repeated his actions in each direction, breaking waves as he did so until the faint outline of…something came into view.

"Go that way," Zuko pointed, sending another ball of fire in the direction of the dark mass that stood apart from the blackness of the sea and sky.

Without another word, Katara and Aang turned the raft and propelled it forward, fighting with and breaking waves whenever necessary. With Zuko's constant fireballs lighting the way, the silhouette of land came into view, filling the hearts of the shipwrecked teens and giving them the strength they needed to continue, even as fatigue started to burn within their muscles. When they finally hit the sandy shores the gaang stumbled off of the raft and trudged as far away from the water as their tired limbs would take them.

Without a single word spoken, Zuko ignited a flame above his hand and provided light for the weary travelers. Once able to see the others watched as Toph stomped her feet onto the ground. The ground shook before stone shot up and slanted to form a giant tent. From there, Katara took over. She pulled all the water from within the dwelling Toph made and tossed it away. The group then walked in, grateful to be out of the rain even though they were still soaked, but not for much longer. Katara pulled all the water from their clothing and threw it outside.

"Thank you," Ty Lee voiced, limping over to the side and dropping onto her rear.

"Anytime," Katara replied hesitantly before turning to Mai. "Is Tom-Tom okay?"

"He hasn't woken up," there was concern in Mai's voice. She did not have a strong connection with her brother, but he was still her family and as such she still cared for him in her own way. When she saw Katara approach, relief flooded her system. Katara would know what to do. Mai handed the child over to Katara's open arms before she followed her to the other side of the earthen tent to watch. Her attention was stolen away however when the sound of something clattering onto the ground startled her.

Zuko had dumped several branches onto the ground in the middle, and behind him Aang was carrying another bundle in his own arms. Once the wood was added to the pile, Aang bent the water from the wood and their clothes. He wasn't as skilled as Katara in that field, and as such both his and Zuko's clothes were still a bit damp, but the wood was dry enough for Zuko to light once the branches were set up in a makeshift fire pit. Seeing what they had planned, Toph bent holes along the roof. She had made them so that while the smoke could get out, water couldn't get in.

"Is he okay," Zuko asked once his task was done. He approached Katara slowly, so as not to startle her in case she was healing the child.

"He's fine," Katara sighed, removing her blue travel tunic and wrapping it around the child. So used to being in her underwrappings, she and everyone else save for Mai and Ty Lee, was completely unfazed. Though the hut was chilly, it was nothing compared to the biting cold of her beloved homeland. "Zuko, would you mind having him with you? I'm worried the cold will make him sick."

"Are you sure? What if he gets sick anyway? I wouldn't know what to do then," he admitted, crouching next to Katara and accepting the child into his arms. Without any conscious thought on his part, heat flared from his body. He looked down at the child hesitantly, unsure if he was holding him right.

"Don't worry, I'll be nearby to keep an eye on him," Katara promised tiredly as the fatigue set in and turned her arms and legs into lead. She could barely hold herself up and found herself leaning towards Zuko and the strength he offered.

"What? What do you mean by 'nearby," Mai demanded suddenly in outrage, jealousy flaring within her entire being. "You don't honestly think I'm going to let you sleep with my boyfriend, do you?" Mai leered at Katara, completely scandalized that she would make such an oath while in her undergarments no less. It was indecent.

"Would you know what to do if Tom-Tom got sick over the night," Katara countered, unable to see where Mai's displeasure was coming from. "What's the big deal anyway? We've slept next to each other before. Nothing has happened, and nothing will happen."

"What do you mean you two have slept next to each other before?" It was Aang's turn to protest, drawing attention onto himself and his own distress over the issue.

"Chill out, Twinkle Toes," Toph growled, unable to comprehend what the issue was with Zuko and Katara sleeping close together. It was nothing new,* and it was for the sake of Tom-Tom. "You act as if this is some shocking discovery. Now would you guys stop making such a big deal about nothing? I'm tired and want to sleep."

"But," Aang pressed, fumbling for words even as everyone else ignored him and continued with their actions of readying themselves for much needed sleep.

"Just drop it Aang," Sokka argued in aggravation. He didn't like the idea either, but like Toph said, it was nothing new and Tom-Tom's health needed to be monitored closely since he was so young. Seeing that Aang had dropped the issue and stormed off to another side of the tent, Sokka returned his attention to the shivering Suki. He removed his tunic in favor of wrapping it around her form before lying down behind her and slipping his arm under her neck. He was overjoyed to see her sigh in growing contentment and roll over to face him.

Suki didn't say anything to Sokka, blinking up at him tiredly and snuggling into his chest. Even without words she new that Sokka understood her silent message. She was worried, for more reasons than one. The stress was high amongst them and the little argument that had broken out amongst the others would be the first of many it seemed. The chill of distrust soaked into her skin, making her grateful to be in Sokka's arms at that moment. Something small and warm pressed up against her back, prompting Suki to peek over her shoulder to find Toph rolling her outer clothes up into a bundle and propping them against Sokka's forearm.

"You okay," Suki found herself asking of the younger girl.

"I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing," Toph admitted silently, scooting closer to Suki so Sokka could drape his arm over the both of them.

"You feel it too, huh?" Suki rolled back over so her back was pressed flush against Sokka's chest and she was facing Toph. She added her arm around her and blew a breath of air onto Toph's face teasingly.

Toph made a face and blew a raspberry over her shoulder before she answered. "The ship sinking was no accident," she said finally, gaining the attention of all present.

"What do you mean," Zuko questioned, lifting his head to face Toph even as his hands continued to stretch out his shirts onto the ground to form a makeshift bed for both Katara and Tom-Tom.

"The hole in the ship…it was too perfectly shaped and…and I think the explosion was rigged also." Toph shivered before curling into a ball. All those people, dead, and for what? Why would someone do such a thing? Tears of distress began to build up in her eyes, but Toph did not let them fall. She could not let them fall. Crying wasn't going to bring all those lost lives back.

"Why don't we talk about this in the morning," Ty Lee offered wisely before she crawled over to the growing puppy pile. She smiled down at Toph sympathetically before she bundled her shirt under her head and snuggled against Toph's other side. She had been quick to accept the gaang's trusting and relaxed ways, feeling unashamed that she had exposed her breast bindings for the sake of using her shirt as a pillow. It was strange, but she enjoyed the fact that she was able to do so without sending out the wrong message to the males of their group. Sure they looked, but they didn't care about it in that way. Ty Lee gasped however when she felt course fabric drape over her shoulders.

Suki smiled over Toph's shoulder as she adjusted Sokka's tunic as best as she could so she could cover the three of them. Ty Lee returned the expression, overjoyed by the fact that, at least for that night, she had been accepted into their family. Ty Lee sighed contently, allowing her eyes to drift shut, blinking them open only for a moment when she felt Sokka's hand squirm under her bundle of clothes to give her head extra support.

"You're right," Zuko agreed, granted there wasn't much to talk about. Chances were that the ship sinking was an assassination attempt against him and his companions. It wouldn't be the first, but this time things went too far. Zuko was fine knowing that he was currently on everyone's hit list, at least that's what it felt like. He was more than capable to take care of himself, as he'd done for so long, but the fact that his attackers would do something so…terrible was not okay. If someone wanted him dead that was fine, but only target him and leave everyone else out of it. The moment he got home, Zuko vowed to hunt down those responsible and make them pay for what they've done.

Zuko felt his anger dwindle as he lay down on his side facing Katara and the child she held. Tom-Tom was adjusted within the bundle of Katara's clothing so that he would be between the two teens, that way he would be warmed from both sides and protected should a predator wander into their tent. At least they were alright. Zuko couldn't help but chuckle when Tom-Tom began to squirm against the tightly wound tunic that held him captive. Reaching up, Zuko loosened it a fraction before pulling the child closer to his side and his warmth. The child still felt so cold, so Zuko allowed more heat to flare from his form.

"He's going to be fine," Katara assured him.

"I hope your right," Zuko breathed, paying little attention when Mai laid herself out behind him. His attention was drawn to Aang however when the young Avatar took advantage of the situation and did the same behind Katara. Part of Zuko wanted to pull Katara closer to him, if only to get her away from him. The impulse was so strong that Zuko almost gave into it, but the arm that snaked around his torso served as his anchor.

"Sleep," Katara commanded gently. "We have a long day ahead of us." Katara allowed her eyes to drift shut, wishing to rid herself of the sight of Mai glaring at her from over Zuko's shoulder. Sleep claim her soon after that, making her oblivious to what was going on around her or what she was doing.

_

* * *

_

Zuko

Warm winds spiraled around jagged red mountains, chasing the clouds as if in play. At the base of the mountain a crystalline lake caught the light of the sun. The reds and oranges of the setting sun set the water ablaze. The glaring brightness protected the secrets of the water, blinding those who would dare to look.

_Zuko_

Standing over the water, as if on an unseen platform was a woman, cloaked in red. In her arms she held a large golden gem, hugging it to her chest as if embracing a child. Even though the wind blew around her, spiraling and dancing and coaxing everything into movement, the woman was undisturbed. Her cloak kept the woman shrouded in mystery.

_Zuko_

Loud roars sounded in the air, the voices of many terrifying creatures shaking the earth with their powerful song.

_Zuko_

Shadows danced across the water's surface, to fast to be caught by the naked eye. Powerful wing beats subdued the wind, forcing it downwards and disturbing the still waters of the lake.

_Zuko_

Zuko watched the figure, frozen in place. He feared that if he did the woman who could not be moved by the unseen giants would fade and vanish. He feared that his approach would chase the statuesque woman away. Who was she? Why was she there? Zuko wished so desperately to ask these questions, but his lips were sealed shut. He knew that if he could only speak, all his questions would be answered. Try as he might though, his lips would not move and words would not form.

"_Zuko,"_ The woman turned to face him, the hood of her cloak obscuring her face from view. Even so, the voice was one Zuko would never, and could never forget.

"Mother." It was a child's voice that escaped his lips, and it was only then that Zuko realized that he was so small.

"Zuko," she called, tilting her head so Zuko could see the smile he longed for.

"Mommy!" Zuko called, no longer caring that he was a child. He ran forward, no longer fearing the consequences in his need to finally be reunited with his mother.

"Zuko," she smiled matronly, moving only to remove the hood of her cloak. It was as if time could never touch her. She was just as Zuko remembered.

The moment his foot touched the edge of the water, the wing beats lost their rhythm. Flames rained down around him and the water surged upwards, spiraling around each other as if in dance. The opposing elements were solid beneath his feet, and Zuko felt no fear as he traveled the elemental path. Zuko reached out to her, desperate to reach her, but it was as if with ever step he took the farther away she was. Still, Zuko's mother was unmoved. She just stood there, waiting patiently for her son to reach her.

"Mommy!" Zuko cried, tripping over his own feet in his hurry to reach her.

"Zuko," her voice was weak as she slowly began to fade right before his eyes.

Zuko climbed to his feet and started to run again with a renewed vigor, each step carrying him closer and closer to his mother. He reached out for her, desperate for just one touch, just one little piece of proof that his mother was there with him and not an illusion.

* * *

"What the?" the sudden exclamation had Zuko awake within moments, raising his arm and bending a stream of flames in the direction of the sound without him even realizing what was going on. Fortunately, when Zuko had realized what he had done, there were no screams of pain and terror; instead was something worse, an angry Aang and an even angrier Mai. Aang was glowering down at him in a firebending stance, panting due to rage and not from the sudden exertion he placed on himself when killing the flames Zuko had attacked him with. While his expression was nothing new to Zuko, and something he could handle quite well, Mai's look was something else entirely.

Zuko could do nothing to better his situation however due to the warm weight that was draped over his body. Peeking downwards, Zuko was greeted with a head of wild brown curls. Some time during the night, both Katara and Tom-Tom had managed to worm their way onto his chest while he slept. Tom-Tom's body was nestled against his chest, held in place by his arm while Katara's was draped over the babe to keep him secured. One of Katara's thighs was hitched high against his torso while the other was stretched out along his leg with her toes curling near his ankles. One of Katara's hands was braced against Tom-Tom's cheek while the other had wound itself in the hair at the nape of Zuko's neck.

Heat flared from Zuko's body as the feeling of arousal took hold, memories of their accidental kiss replaying in his mind. Zuko made a move to stir Katara, maneuvering his free arm to shake her, but she was adamant to stay asleep. She groaned her annoyance, tightening her hold of Zuko's hair and scratching her nails deliciously over Zuko's scalp. The growl that emanated from Zuko's throat could only be described as predatory.

Eventually, Zuko's increasingly urgent attempts to wake Katara finally stirred her. With her eyes still closed and far from complete consciousness, Katara eased her hands from their placement and braced her palms on Zuko's chest. She pushed herself onto her hands; her palms braced against Zuko's pectorals, her knees at his hips, and arched her back. She slid her torso from left to right before bowing her back and repeating the process. There was a series of cracks and pops along her spine, followed by happy little moans and purrs. She then eased herself into a cobra position, resting her entire body along his before pushing upwards with her arms, lifting her chest from his and curling upwards. Several more pops and cracks could be heard before she pushed back with her arms onto her knees again with her hips directly over her feet.

While still in her extended puppy pose,* Katara pushed back even farther until her nose brushed against Zuko's lower abdomen and she was in her child pose. Her arms were still extended with her fingers needing at Zuko's upper body, her nails tracing along his skin. Were she conscious, she would have felt Zuko's breathe hitch and felt a growing hardness near her chin. If she were conscious, Katara would have moved before going through her daily morning stretches. But she wasn't. Though she was awakening, the haze of slumber still clung to her system. She was completely unaware that it was not the ground beneath her or a comfortable bed. All she knew was that it was morning, and she needed to limber up for the upcoming day as she always had done.

Undulating forward, Katara sat on Zuko's stomach and shifted her torso from side to side. She slowly worked her arms upward with each sway until she was reaching for the sky alternating arms as if she were climbing a ladder. She then bent backwards, pressing her palms together and reaching up and over her head as far as she could. She held the pose for several seconds before easing her spine into a straight line and bracing her palms against Zuko's belly.

Zuko hissed, finally reaching his limit and growing desperate for Katara to just stay still if only to calm his raging blood. His sanity and self control demanded it. He knew exactly what came next, having watched her go through her morning exercises every morning when they were on the run. Quickly making sure the child at his side wouldn't be jostled, Zuko snapped his hands out and grabbed at Katara's hips and lifted her up so he could roll them over before she could spread her legs out in a split. He had her pinned beneath him, panting from frustration. It was this that woke her.

Katara's eyes shot open and she reached out for the nearest source of water to lash out at her attacker. Zuko caught her wrists before she could complete her act against him and he refused to let go until awareness entered her gaze.

"What's going on?" Katara grunted, blinking several times as if that would help her comprehend why she woke up to Zuko pinning her to the ground…again. She glared up at Zuko, ready to give him a piece of her mind and complain about his growing bad habit, but then she noticed the murderous looks coming from behind him. "What?" Katara growled, oblivious to her earlier actions. As far as she knew, she was getting an attitude from Mai for no reason. Katara wasn't a morning person by her nature, so the expression wasn't appreciated at all.

"What was that?" Mai questioned harshly half tempted to reach for her knives in hopes of venting her frustration with Katara as her target. What was worse was that Zuko had yet to get up off of her.

"What was what?" Katara shot back, squirming under Zuko's hold. "You can get off now." Katara's tone didn't carry that much of a bite, primarily due to the fact that she kind of liked having Zuko hovering above her as he was now. She and Zuko locked eyes for a split second and Katara was shocked to see the usual amber of his eyes become a molten shade of red. His breath, hot and laced with vapor, due to the cool air, fanned over her face. Goose pimples rose over Katara's flesh and all she could think about for that moment in time was the kiss the two shared. She could see the passion in his eyes. She could feel his muscles quiver with restraint. The air around him wavered as the heat of his body battled with the frigidness that was their morning, caressing her and seeping into her skin. Then he was gone, taking his warmth with him.

Katara watched him quickly roll off of her and rise to his feet. He muttered something about going out to see if he could find food before he vanished into the curtain of rain that poured outside their stone tent. Biting her lip, Katara racked her brain in hopes of finding whatever it was she did to have such an affect on him. Was it the same reason as to why Mai was so angry with her? Why Aang was angry with her?

"What did I do?" Katara found herself asking again, only this time her words were barely above a whisper.

"Nothin' much," Toph yawned, watching Zuko curiously. Even though she was blind, she was not oblivious to the human body. She was educated enough to know the differences between men and women. But with that being said, she was still innocent. So when she saw the vibrations within Zuko pick up, it was almost as if she could see him perfectly. The rapid vibrations echoed through his body in rapid successions, painting an image of his form and the affect Katara had on him. His body was tense, as if in battle. Then there was…his private area. Was it normal for men to do that; to grow when excited in such a way? Toph wanted to ask, but since she knew that it had to do with his private part, she knew not too.

"You just went through your morning yoga on top of him," Suki finished in Toph's stead, struggling in vain to keep mirth in check for the sake of the others present. Poor Sokka was still frozen at her back, unable to decide if he wanted to kill Zuko, lock his sister away, or go back to sleep and pretend nothing happened. Her smile vanished however when she saw the livid expression on Aang's face. She was almost frightened and Suki feared that it wouldn't have taken much more before he was pushed over the edge and into the Avatar State.

"Nothing was going to happen, huh," Mai spat rather loudly. She was incensed. How dare that peasant do something so vulgar to her boyfriend? It was disgusting. It was abhorrent. Drawing one of her stilettos, Mai flung it into the wall behind her with all her might since she could do nothing else to alleviate her fury. Save for the Avatar, everyone else reacted as if everything was business as usual, if not a little funny. What was going on? Wasn't Zuko in love with her? Weren't they together? Why was it that the thought of her Zuko and the Avatar's girlfriend together didn't repulse anyone else? Why didn't they do something?

Raw jealousy and sorrow gripped Mai's heart in an iron grip, leaving her short of breath and nauseous. Then there was the anger. She could not do anything because she was a stand alone voice against Katara. If she did something against the water tribe peasant, then Mai would surely be taken down without much difficulty. She had no choice but to just stand there and glare for Katara was protected by many, whereas Mai had no one. Not with Ty Lee barely conscious and Zuko outside. She doubted Zuko would do anything in her defense anyway, if anything he'd lead the attack in the defense of Katara. Mai grabbed another stiletto and let it fly into the wall next to the previous one before stomping her foot and marching over to the farthest side of the tent.

This, of all things, was what made the child wake up and start to cry. Tom-Tom scrunched his eyes tightly and balled his fists, wailing as if he had suffered a physical injury. His shrill cries pierced through the air and into the eardrums of all present to hear it, chasing away all semblance of sleep and destroying the relative stillness of the morning outside. The sound was deafening with no sign of letting up even as Katara lifted the child into her arms and rocked him back and forth in a soothing fashion, humming a water tribe lullaby.

Zuko entered the tent in a hurry, dripping wet and splashing water onto Sokka and Momo who were nearest the door as he rushed passed. He searched the entirety of the tent for the source of the child's tears, fearing that danger had crept into the tent while he was gone. Finding none, Zuko approached Katara and checked to see if the child was cold or injured. When he realized that Tom-Tom was still snuggly bundled in Katara's tunic, Zuko turned to the young woman in hopes that she would be able to explain why the child was crying. Katara gave him no answer as she continued to rock the babe in hopes of calming him, but Tom-Tom would just not be soothed. Both teens turned to Mai expectantly, hoping that she would have the answer since they were siblings.

"What," she hissed.

"He's your brother; do something," Zuko expressed tensely due the annoying ringing that was increasing in volume within his ear. How could something so small make so much noise?

"Like what?" Though her tone still maintained its harshness, her eyes told them that she truly didn't know what to do in this situation. Why would she have that information anyway? She never had to deal with her brother for more than an hour. If the child wasn't with their mother, the he was with his nanny. The nanny was the one who took care of everything, not her.

"Did you find any food?" Katara asked Zuko, deciding to start with the basics and work her way from there.

Zuko looked away from Katara as if in shame. Even though he said it, Zuko hadn't searched for anything but a moment of solitude so he could cool down. "I wasn't really able to look," Zuko admitted solemnly, his voice barely carrying over the howling babe. He continued to watch Katara, waiting for her reaction to his admission. He sighed in relief when she just smiled in understanding. She continued to rub soothing circles over Tom-Tom's back until the volume had lessened only somewhat.

"Sokka, can you go see if there's any food around? Take Momo with you," Katara requested, her rocking soothing the irate child to sniffling. Finally she was able to think and process information, like the rumbling that was coming from the child's stomach. Katara watched Sokka scuttle out of the tent with an almost grateful expression on his face with Momo trailing happily behind him. "Zuko, can you hold him for a moment?"

Zuko made a motion to complain since he was wet, but Katara bent the water from his body before the words could even form. Holding his arms out, he allowed Katara to position them around the child properly so she could remove her tunic from him. He watched her curiously, unsure what Katara was going to do with her tunic since it was clear she wasn't going to put it back on.

Katara worked quick and fast, utilizing all her strength to rip her tunic into long strips. She tied several ends together and wove the cloth into a strange design before she brought it to Tom-Tom. "We're going to have to take turns carrying him since he can't walk all that well."

"All of us?" Ty Lee asked, not really liking the idea of carrying the child for any period of time. It's not like she didn't like children. Quite the contrary; she loved kids. She was just afraid that she would do something wrong, like drop him or accidently hurt him in some other way. Ty Lee didn't do well under pressure, and she did worse when it came to taking care of fragile things. Young children fell under the fragile category and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if little Tom-Tom got hurt because of her.

"Yes, all of us." Katara replied while fastening the makeshift harness around Zuko and the child to see if it would fit him since he was the largest of them all. Seeing that it would, Katara freed Tom-Tom from Zuko's back and held the child to her chest. "You'll be fine," Katara assured Ty Lee, seeing the genuine worry in her eyes.

Sokka returned several minutes later just as everyone finished dressing. His arms were laden with several fruits for everyone to enjoy, most of which were soft and easy to eat since he was unsure of Tom-Tom's diet. He dumped them into a pile next to the fire before dropping himself onto the ground so he could warm himself. It was one thing to be cold, which he was very used to, but it was another entirely to be cold and wet. He hated being cold and wet at the same time.

"That was all I could find," Sokka announced after he had sufficiently warmed himself. He smiled gratefully to his sister when she bent the water off of him and sighed contently. He then reached out for one of the larger, harder fruits and allowed himself to begin eating, though not at his usual pace considering the number of mouths and limited supply of food. Sokka could be considerate when he wanted to be, and since there was a little one among them the thought of gorging himself hadn't crossed his mind.

"This'll be fine," Katara smiled, dressed in Zuko's undershirt. She gathered a handful of the bright and colorful berries and popped one into her mouth. Seeing that there were no pits that would serve as a choking hazard, Katara held them out for Tom-Tom to take and eat on his own. In response he sniffed, eyeing the red and purple berries before taking one and eating it. Finding that he liked it, he grabbed whole fistfuls and shoved them into his mouth. Juices smeared all over his face, staining his cheeks and lips, but he was happy. He was happy and quiet.

Zuko waited for everyone else to eat before he claimed one of the few moon peaches and sinking his teeth into it. It was tart, but otherwise good. He chewed thoughtfully as he took in the faces of his friends. The air around them was eerily somber considering how boisterous the lot usually was. It was strange, but considering last night's events it wasn't all that shocking. Travel was going to be difficult with a child as young as Tom-Tom in their ranks. Though he could walk, his stamina was short, as were his legs. Katara was wise to make the harness so they could carry the child, but the added weight would decrease the speed of most of the others. Beside Sokka and himself, and maybe even Suki as well, the weight was going to decrease the distance they could travel by quite a bit.

Zuko would be fine with carrying Tom-Tom for the entirety of the trip, but he doubted the others would let him; Katara mainly due to the fact that she hated when one person took on a larger share of the work load. _If I can manage it, I'll try and do most of the carrying. Katara won't like it, but it's something she'll have to deal with. We most likely have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it in. _Zuko scanned the faces of his companions again until they landed on Aang.

Amber met grey as Aang glared at Zuko darkly. Were Zuko a lesser man he would have flinched at the severity of the look, but as it was, Zuko could only meet Aang's gaze with a blank expression. _He must still be angry with what happened this morning, _Zuko deduced. _Well that's just too bad. It's not like what had happened had been intentional. _Heat flared within his body as Zuko replayed that morning within his mind.

The way her body writhed over his, the way her muscles undulated under her smooth mocha skin, her very breath had hypnotized him. He had been enthralled by her movements and how erotic her actions had been. He could still feel her breath ghosting low over his abdomen and her nails scratching at his chest. Her long and wild curly hair framed her sensuous body, catching the few rays of morning light that trickled in. The light caught in her hair surrounded Katara in a halo of light, adding an ephemeral quality to her beauty. Zuko wanted more. He needed more.

First it was the kiss, the feel of her lips that haunted him and his sleep. Now he was sure that her body straddling his would make his nights near unbearable. Save for last night, all his dreams had been filled with images of Katara. Her body pressed against his. Her lips dancing against his, leaving him hungry and wanting for more, Zuko did not know how long he would be able to suffer the torture. Katara was his own personal siren, igniting his inner flame into a raging inferno. _What am I going to do?_ Zuko thought, turning from the furious Aang so he could gorge himself on the vision of Katara giggling and laughing with the babbling Tom-Tom. _It's Ba Sing Se all over again._

So lost in thought was he that Zuko did not realize that everyone had packed up their few belongings, like the left over food, and was ready to leave. It wasn't until Katara was fastening Tom-Tom to his back that he returned to reality. Zuko looked up to Katara curiously, silently asking if they were still okay given that morning's little debacle. She just smiled at him, blushing while shrugging the incident away. Zuko returned the expression before rising to his feet and tightening the ties around his torso and checking over his shoulder to see if Tom-Tom was comfortable.

Once set, the hut fell away from around them with a stamp of Toph's foot, dousing the group in a thin layer of mist and sunshine. As expected, Aang took lead and started towards the west with the sun's ray's warming their backs. Close behind him was Toph, but why he did not know. Usually Toph took the rear whenever they traveled by foot to alert them to attacks from behind, or she was with Sokka bickering with him over one thing or another. Then there would be Katara close at his side, but now she was with Zuko.

Aang had never really noticed it until recently, even with his suspicions about their relationship, but both Katara and Zuko were almost always together. They would always walk side by side. They would always seek each other's company and they could talk about anything and everything it seemed. They were comfortable around each other, but not in the usual way like with the others. Whereas with everyone else, the two were in sync with each other, able to just glance at one another and know instantly what the other's feeling.

When they interacted with the others there was a conscious effort on their parts to mesh with them. But with Zuko and Katara, that was not the case. The way they fought together for the first time, perfectly in tune with the other's movements, it was like they were dancing. They read each other. They knew each other. They sought each other out. There was a magnetism that drew them together, even while they were enemies. They were drawn together, pushed and pulled by unseen forces. Their opposing elements clashed at first, and Aang was no longer ashamed to admit that their opposition had brought him and his insecurities joy. But now he was not so sure. The two blended their elements together, hot and cold. Fire and Ice. They melded together in a storm of power. There was no denying such a connection, try as he might.

Aang looked back to face Katara in hopes of alleviating his misery, but his heart seized at the sight of Katara and Zuko laughing together at some incomprehensible thing Tom-Tom had said. Katara was working little Tom-Tom's fists from Zuko's hair, her fingers trailing over the dark strands before settling on Zuko's neck. They shared a look, their eyes meeting and creating a link between the two for words unspoken to travel. With their eyes as the only form of communication, Katara adjusted the harness. She knew without being told that Zuko was experiencing a discomfort. Because of this, Katara was oblivious to the path ahead and was about to trip over a raised knee high root.

Aang opened his mouth, turning quickly so he could alert her to its presence, but Zuko beat him to the punch. Without a word or even slowing his stride, he wrapped an arm around Katara's waist and lifted her over the root. Katara tucked her knees up to her chest for a brief moment to clear the high root before dropping her feet onto the ground. Zuko released her and the two continued undeterred with Katara still fussing over the harness and the child it carried.

"I'm gonna fly ahead," Aang announced suddenly, sick to his stomach and unable to watch anymore. He didn't even wait for the others to acknowledge his statement, pulling his glider from his back and snapping it open. He was gone moments later, needing to be away from Zuko's and Katara's sick excuse of a friendship.

"What's with him?" Sokka asked from his place between Suki and Ty Lee. The two stopped mid conversation to watch the young airbender fly off before shrugging. They both had hunches, but neither was willing to voice their theories. Such words would be hurtful to some, if not all around them.

"He's still bummed about this morning," Toph replied, unable to see why. She had also been watching Zuko and Katara; she had ever since the summit when they started acting weird around each other. Try as she might, she couldn't see what got Aang so steamed. They were acting like they always do around each other. They were really close friends. Sure there were moments where Toph suspected one or both wanted more, but both were too honorable to ever consciously act out the emotions they were truly feeling for each other. Toph wanted to roll her eyes at the idiocy of her friends and how they had trapped themselves into dreary situations. _Please don't let me catch there stupid, _Toph silently prayed, _it would drive me insane. _

"It was an accident though," Katara insisted in hopes of defending her modesty. She could never be so forward, especially with someone who wasn't her boyfriend. Sure Zuko was attractive…very attractive, but she and Zuko weren't together like she was with Aang and he was with Mai. She cared for Zuko a lot, and she would be lying if she said that being with him hadn't crossed her mind, but she had bound herself to Aang and would never hurt him in such a way. Granted she did have her doubts about her relationships with both young men, Katara was with Aang. _I'm with Aang, _Katara told herself, ignoring the fact that she seemed less and less excited about that fact each time she thought about it.

"We know it was, but you know him." This time Toph did roll her eyes. Aang's jealousy issues were going to cause the entire group a lot of problems it seemed, not just for Katara. _Why did those two start dating anyway? They barely have anything in common?*_

"Maybe he knows he can't trust you, or he can't trust Zuko," Mai offered neutrally.

"Or he thinks he does," Zuko countered. He shot Mai a frosty look for a brief moment but chose to say nothing more on the matter. She did pose a legitimate point. Aang didn't trust either of them around each other it seemed. Zuko didn't know why, he had never done anything in pursuit of Katara, or she in the pursuit of him. All that was between them was their growing friendship and a handful of pleasurable accidents.

"How much longer till we can take a break? We've been walking for hours." Ty Lee whined, bored with the drama going on around her and wanting to do something else other than walk.

"When Aang lands we can ask him," Suki soothed, gesturing to the growing dot in the horizon.

"Great!" Ty Lee cheered, taking Suki's words to mean that she could sit down. Stretching her legs out, Ty Lee took the time to scan the faces of the others as they stopped to do the same. She watched Katara remove Tom-Tom from Zuko's back and was tickled pink when the child ran to her. The child plopped down between her legs and waited. Ty Lee stared ant him, and Tom-Tom stared at her.

"I think he wants you to do something?" Toph suspected, creating an earthen chair for herself and plopping herself down.

"Oh."

* * *

*1 – there are some clips within season three of the gaang sleeping, and I've noticed that Zuko and Katara sleep close to each other. I think it was during one of the episodes where Aang pulled a Houdini. They're sleeping side by side on Appa, granted there was a space between them. Either way, from there I'm going to make the assumption that it wasn't that uncommon of an occurrence.

*2 – if you haven't noticed yet, Katara is going through yoga poses, the ones that are without names should be obvious, but the ones that are named are there so you can look them up in case I didn't describe her actions well enough. By the by, Katara's still asleep.

*3 – Seriously, what do they have in common? Besides the same goal to end the war, the two got along well but didn't really have anything that they could bond over beyond that. Can someone find a Kataanger and ask them for me, because I don't want to ask my kataang friend. She'll talk for hours and go on and on about how bad zutarans are. So yeah, can someone ask around? I think my bias against the couple is blinding me to the things they have in common…

* * *

Author's Note: There are some things in this chapter that I'm not all that pleased with, like the dream and the chapter's end. But what ev's. Sorry about the long wait. Reviews are greatly welcomed, ciao!


	4. Chapter 2: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Author's Note: I'm SOOOO sorry I took so long to update. My writer's block was a nasty one, plus I started working on my cosplays for metrocon which also ate up a lot of my time and energy. I should be uploading Red Siren too soon, but I won't make any promises because my block is keeping me from reaching my quota for the amount of words each chapter has to have. Anywho, I hope you like this chapter. I do...kinda.

P.S: For those who are going to metrocon, I'm gonna be Fran from Final Fantasy 12, Farah from Prince of Persia: the Two Thrones, and Fire Nation Katara again.

* * *

Aang landed with a sharp snap of his glider. The flight had done little to better his mood, but the trip did have some merit. Though he was still to upset to feel true excitement for his discovery, Aang was thrilled to announce to the others that he knew where they were and that they were only a few hours away from a familiar village. He approached the group with hurried steps, securing his glider to his back as he did so.

Katara looked across to Aang from her place between Suki and Ty Lee, little Tom-Tom laughing merrily at a silly handstand Ty Lee was performing. She could see that he was still upset about what had happened that morning, but there was a sureness in his step that filled her with hope. She handed Tom-Tom off to Suki before she stood and walked over to Aang to meet him half way. Without her even turning to look, she could feel and hear both Toph and Zuko falling into step behind her, distinguishing them from the others easily.

"So what did you find Twinkle Toes?" Toph inquired almost neutrally.

"We're still in the Earth Kingdom," Aang replied. "Makapu village isn't that far off, maybe a few hours at most." Aang gestured in the village's direction and was pleased to see the grateful smiles of his friends and companions.

"Oh, great," Sokka groaned, slamming his palm to his forehead as he trudged forward. "The village of the quacks," he continued.

"What's wrong with Makapu village?" Suki asked, since she was not with the Gaang when they first came to the aforementioned place. She could only image what the place was like from what she had heard from travelers and Sokka's reaction to it. The stories she had heard were mixed, and usually tipped towards the extremes. People either really liked Makapu village, or they really despised it. Whatever the place was, Suki could only imagine how wonderful it would be to finally see it for herself.

"Everyone there is crazy!" Sokka exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that the others and himself have picked up and started walking again. "They practically worship this '_psycic' _they call Aunt Wu, who believes that she can predict the future. She's a total quack. She predicted that I would make myself miserable, and she was wrong."

"Oh really? Looks to me that she was right on the money," Toph teased over her shoulder, laughing at the sound of protest Sokka made.

"Really," Sokka countered vehemently. 'I'm not the one making me miserable, it's all of you!" Sokka pointed at Toph in particular, making everyone laugh at his obvious disdain. Sokka dropped his hand and glared at everyone respectively. Eventually he did crack a smile, allowing the laughter to sink into his skin. It was a wonderful sound, the sound of laughter. It washed away the lingering affects of melancholy, loosened the coil of sorrow from his belly, and left him feeling lighter. Sokka allowed himself the opportunity to laugh, his voice adding to the chorus of his beloved friends.

In the joy of laughter, Aang allowed himself to be calmed before he turned to face Katara. She was leaning against Suki, both of them hunched over and holding their stomachs. In her other hand she was holding Ty Lee's, who had lost the strength to stand and was struggling to get up even as she doubled over again in her laughing fit. Katara tried to pull Ty Lee back onto her feet, but she was laughing too hard and fell to her knees, pulling Suki down with her. Toph wasn't that far behind them, falling back into the growing pile of limbs with loud guffaws.

"So," Toph gasped once she had air enough to speak, "what did she tell you guys?"

"She told me I was going to marry a 'powerful bender," Katara chuckled, wiping tears from her eyes. She was attacked by another fit of giggles, suddenly finding the woman's words to be increasingly funny. _Some powerful bender I've got…_Katara's laughter changed in tone, becoming sarcastic and almost self depreciating. She found her laughter dwindling, wanting to be on her feet and away from the joyous laughter that she was no longer a part of. Getting up was proving difficult however, since she did not want to hurt any of her friends. Tripping over their limbs was the end result.

A hand came into view, strong and wrought with calluses. It was a hand of a warrior. It was the hand of a savior. It was the hand of a protector. It was the hand of Zuko. Katara accepted the offered limb with a sigh of relief, allowing for Zuko to pull her up and wrap his arms around her waist. He then lifted her up with ease, clearing her feet from the limbs of her friends before placing her down a short ways away. She looked up to Zuko with a word of thanks already forming on her lips, but she was silenced by the mirthful smile stretched across his face. It was so rare to see Zuko laugh, let alone smile. He was absolutely beautiful.

"Thanks," she said finally, coming to her senses and looking down at the heap that was her friends. They were all so happy, if only for a moment and for that she was glad. But there was something else that troubled her; she wasn't as happy as she should have been. The thought of Aang and Aunt Wu's prediction left her feeling empty inside, more so than it usually did. Maybe Wu was wrong about her prediction. Maybe Aang wasn't the only powerful bender out there for her. She was a powerful bender. Toph was a powerful bender. Zuko was a powerful bender, maybe even one of the most powerful ones she knew. Aang wasn't the only powerful bender out there. _But I love Aang…right?_ Katara wasn't all that sure of her love. She hadn't been for a long time.

"She told me that the future is what you make it," Aang offered finally, sobered by the memory that Aunt Wu hadn't actually seen any love in his future and the sight of Zuko's arms around Katara again. It wasn't a romantic act, so he had no right to be angry, but it still hurt. Zuko had the strength to lift her. He had the looks and personality that Katara tended to lean towards. He was kind and considerate. He was smart and dependable. What was worse, she fit against Zuko perfectly, without either of them having to compensate for the other.

"See what I mean, she's a fake! She's covering her own butt so that when her predictions prove false she can't be blamed" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air comically in hopes of earning more laughter. He got what he wanted, even from the stoic Mai who was leaning against a tree a short distance away. However, in the case of Katara, he seemed to have the opposite affect. She calmed instantly and turned away from the group as if shamed by something. Though he didn't show it, Sokka became increasingly concerned. Something was wrong with his baby sister, and he feared that it had something to do with everything that had happened since the shipwreck. What else would create such a reaction from Katara?

"Sucks to be you," Toph chortled. She rolled off of Suki and Ty Lee and dropped herself face down on the ground, stretching herself out and turning her head till her cheek rested on the warm and damp earth. _What's wrong with Katara?_ She "looked" at Katara's heart beat and watched it almost vibrate against Katara's ribcage, out of sync with the rest of her. She was under a lot of stress, but Toph couldn't place why. There was no threat nearby, because in those instances Katara's mind turned off and her heartbeat, body, and motions synchronized. The only thing that would create such discord within her had been emotional issues. _Why would she be under emotional stress when just a moment ago she was laughing so happily?_

"We should keep going," Zuko announced once everyone had calmed enough to breathe somewhat normally. He lifted Tom-Tom up from the ground and handed him off to Katara so she could secure him to his back again. She did so without much prompting and gave Zuko's shoulder a pat to let him know that she was done.

"You're right. We need to get supplies as soon as possible if we want to get back home in one piece," Katara agreed. She leaned forward to grab Toph's hands and pulled the younger girl up onto her feet. She then turned to Ty Lee and Suki, but they managed to help each other up. Katara smiled at them, glad to see that Ty Lee was fitting in so well with them. Mai was another story altogether. Katara sent a quick glance to the said member of the group. Though she was still smiling, like the others, her expression was far more sober and she had distanced herself from the group to be in the shade.

"You ready to go," Katara heard Zuko ask of Mai. Mai gave Zuko a nod before she linked her arm around his, using his arm as a brace to step daintily over a high cluster of roots. It was a known fact amongst all of them that Mai was more than capable of walking over them on her own, but she chose not to simply for the opportunity to touch Zuko more than necessary. Katara couldn't really hold it against Mai when she herself would probably do the same if Zuko was her boyfriend. He was such a gentleman and what girl wouldn't want to subject herself to such caring treatment. Chivalry was a dying art form after all. Even so, Katara couldn't deny the frigidness of jealousy that encased her heart and tied her stomach in knots.

Katara turned away from Zuko and Mai, just as Zuko turned to face her. Katara could not see the longing in Zuko's eyes, nor the silent wish to be relieved of Mai's iron grip on his arm. All Katara could see was the after image burned into her mind. She didn't want for Zuko to hold Mai in such a way. She wanted Zuko to hold her, like he did earlier. Katara loved it when Zuko held her. It made her feel safe and warm, as if nothing in the world could hurt her. _I shouldn't feel this way for Zuko! _Katara snapped to herself as she jogged ahead almost angrily. _I should be feeling this for Aang, my __**boyfriend**__._

"Something bothering you?" Toph questioned when she felt Katara reach her side.

"Nothing I really want to talk about," Katara admitted. She had been with Toph for so long that she didn't even bother with hiding the truth. The little earthbender was going to find out anyway so why lie about it and create an entirely new problem to deal with?

Toph just 'stared' at Katara for a moment longer, but didn't press the issue. Instead, Toph gripped Katara's hand and gave it a supportive squeeze before she separated herself from Katara altogether so she could drop to the back of the group and tease Sokka. The group didn't need any more drama as they walked. What they needed was more laughter to make the pain go away, so she would help Sokka in his quest to acquire more of that laughter. After all, walking was a whole lot easier with something to take the mind off of walking.

The sun was high overhead when they arrived at the newly erected arch of Makapu village, signifying the time as well past noon. The black of the road beneath their feet snaked ahead towards the village before wrapping around and dipping low into the ground due to the manmade trenches. Behind the village, a jagged wall of cooled and hardened lave formed a wave, sheltering the village from harm. Beyond that Makapu Volcano mingled with the white and fluffy clouds over head.

"It's just as we left it," Katara smiled from Zuko's side, her hand rubbing soothing circles over Tom-tom's back. The child was tired and cranky from the long trip and had become quite fussy an hour ago. Though Zuko didn't verbalize it, the child's distress had gotten to him so Katara couldn't help but intervene.

"There's someone coming this way," Toph declared, pointing ahead of the group as two individuals stood at the gates to the village, one of which made their way down the slight slope that led to up Makapu.

"Hey…" Sokka murmured, using his hand as a visor against the sun as he squinted. 'I think that's Aunt Wu…and Meng."

"They must have known we were coming," Katara grinned, using her words to bait Sokka into another comical reaction.

"Doh!" Sokka groaned, turning to face his little sister with a scowl. "One of the villagers must have seen us and told her we were coming."

"If you say so," Katara chuckled.

Meng was the first to reach them, her eyes bright and her smile wide. The gap in her teeth, born from a missing tooth, had now been filled and her beautiful smile was all the better for it. Her warm brown eyes scanned over the visible faces before they settled on one of the few familiar ones. "Hi Aang," she greeted with a musical lilt to her voice. She ran her fingers through her hair almost nervously, drawing attention to the fact that now, instead of her pigtails sticking up at an odd angle, they fell downwards to due to the weight of the considerably longer length. Over the two years since Aang's last visit, Meng's figure had started to develop which she was happy to show with her tightened clothes. Soon she would no longer fit in them and she would have to buy new clothes for her increased size, but till then she would show off what she now had.

"Hi Meng," Aang smiled happily, grateful to see the face of a friend. "How have you been?"

"I've been great. I've been training under Aunt Wu, and I've actually become a pretty good fortune teller. Would you like me to give you yours sometime?" Meng offered happily, overjoyed that Aang had shown interest in her life. Though it had been a while since she had last seen him, Meng still harbored her crush on the young Avatar and it showed clear as day to everyone else other than Aang.

"Sure, why not." Aang beamed. "Hi Aunt Wu," Aang waved once they reached the elder woman.

"Hello dear." She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry about what had happened. I had the village say prayers for your fallen comrades last night during the storm and some of the villagers are going out to search for the remains of your ship. We may not be able to do much, but we will see to it that you're crew receive a proper burial." Aunt Wu bowed. Her words sobered all and the veil of happiness was lifted to reveal the sorrow that still hung thick around the gaang.

"Thank you," Zuko accepted, stepping forward and bowing as deeply as he could with the child on his back. "But how did you know?" Zuko watched the woman hesitantly. He was grateful for her words and the actions she had the villagers take for his people, but he could not comprehend why a complete stranger would go through the trouble. How would she know to do such things anyway? News travelled fast, but not that fast. Nothing short of having the information beforehand would result in such actions.

"I know many things," Aunt Wu answered cryptically. "Come, you all must be tired and hungry from your ordeal." Aunt Wu turned and gestured for the teens to follow her, a matronly smile tugging at her lips when she saw the appreciative glances. She led them into her manor, guiding them to the guest wing of her home since her village did not have an inn for which the gaang could rest.

"Thank you for your hospitality Aunt Wu," Katara expressed with gratitude heavy in her voice.

"Anytime dears," Aunt Wu smiled. She approached Katara with sure and even steps, giving the girl's shoulder a pat before turning her attention to Zuko. "Why don't we let the child rest in a comfy bed, I'm sure you both would appreciate it."

Zuko looked at the woman hesitantly, unsure what to do. He didn't know the woman, he'd only met her once,* so the thought of just handing over the child didn't sit well with him. But even so, he saw the logic in Aunt Wu's words since he would really be happy to get the child off his back for a little while and Tom-Tom needed a bed to rest better. He was torn in two directions, due to his distrusting nature, but the soothing hand on his shoulder calmed him. Zuko turned to face Katara just as she smiled at him reassuringly.

With a rush of relief, Zuko turned so Katara could unfasten little Tom-Tom from his back and hand him off to the expectant Aunt Wu. Wu cradled the child expertly and a new light shined within her warm honey eyes. Tom-Tom stirred in her arms, stretching as he blinked his eyes open and yawned. He looked up at Aunt Wu blankly before reaching upwards and patting her cheek. Wu smiled down at him and gave his nose a light tap with her index finger. The child laughed and Wu's smile grew.

"You must really like kids," Ty Lee said, marveling at the pink and gold aura that spiraled around the woman. It engulfed her and the child in a rosebud of color, painting an image of matronly serenity.

"I do," Wu admitted turning and continuing towards one of the closer rooms. She led the teens into the room and walked over to the high bed at the center of it. Without breaking her stride, she placed the child down and tucked him into the covers. She then took the longer pillows and formed a square around the child to keep him from rolling off the bed should his sleep turn fitful. Everyone watched as Tom-Tom yawned again before he fell back to sleep.

"Watch over him Momo," Aang commanded of his lemur, knowing that the entire Gaang would be needed to run their errands.

Momo blinked at Aang almost agitatedly, but obeyed his master without any form of complaint. Momo flew from Aang's shoulder and landed on one of the pillows near the child's head. Momo watched the child hesitantly, almost fearfully, before he crept closer and curled up against Tom-Tom's side. His head shot up for a moment though, as if tempted to flee when Tom-Tom's arms wrapped around Momo's body, but the lemur calmed when he realized the child was still sleeping.

"How sweet they are," Wu cooed in a low whisper. "We should let them sleep. Dinner should be ready in an a few hours so you should take this time to gather supplies. I've already sent word around the village so you should be able to get what you need for little or nothing."

"Thank you, we really appreciate your kindness," Aang declared for all present. He gave Aunt Wu a deep bow before he and the gaang left the room to let Tom-Tom sleep.

"It's nothing. We may be small in numbers, but the people of Makapu take care of theirs," Wu replied flippantly.

"Either way, thank you." Katara repeated before turning to the others. "We should split up to conserve time." Katara announced.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sokka agreed. "Suki, Toph and I will go see about a map and food." Sokka gestured for the said girls to follow him out, not seeing the need to stay longer than they had to. The sooner they finished the sooner they could leave.

"Can I come with?" Ty Lee asked before they could leave the manor. She looked at them almost nervously, unsure of whether or not she would be welcomed in their group. But the reassuring smiles offered her soothed her nerves.

"The more the merrier." Sokka nodded, gesturing with his arm for Ty Lee to follow.

Ty Lee let out a celebratory 'whoop' before cart wheeling over to them before draping her arms over both Sokka's and Suki's shoulder's with a happy smile.

"We should go get some appropriate clothing and travel bags," Zuko suggested. As much as he liked seeing Katara in his clothes, he could tell that Aang didn't appreciate it at all. Most times Zuko wouldn't really care, but in order for the trip to go by smoothly the drama needed to be minimized as fast as possible.

"We should hurry," Katara advised, remembering the time limit Aunt Wu had given them.

Katara took the lead as Aang, Mai, and Zuko fell into step behind her. Hers was the keenest eye as far as quality was concerned so Katara proved better suited to the job. She led them to the first stall that sold ready made clothes for traveling, her sharp eyes and smooth hands taking in the fabrics before she allowed herself to take in the clothes for what they were. She could tell that the clothing was of high quality and durable fabrics, which is what the group needed since they had a long ways to go on foot. Katara turned to call for the stall's vendor, but the man was already there with a kindly smile on his face.

"Help yourself to anything you like," he offered happily. There was no sign of ulterior motive or greed, just the simple wish to be of service. Whatever Aunt Wu had told him, he was more than happy to just give away his wares for the sake of the group before him.

Katara exchanged a hesitant glance with her friends, somewhat wierded out by the man's eagerness to help. Not many salesmen and women would be so giving, but none of the present gaang were willing to question it. They didn't have much money to spend so every little bit helped. Katara turned back to the stall the vendor ran and broke of from the group in search of something that fit her. Behind her she could hear the other's doing the same, and she braced herself for the questions of approval that she was bound to get within a moments time.

As expected, Aang came up to Katara with the question already forming on his lips. He held up a white shirt for Katara's inspection, hoping that it would please her. Katara scanned it critically, noting the stitching, size, and composition of the short sleeved shirt. Since Aang's shirt was torn up pretty badly during the storm he did need the replacement, but Katara wasn't all too sure the style suited Aang and his needs. Turning from the younger bender, Katara searched about until she found another shirt that would be better suited to Aang's tastes while maintaining its function. Without a word, Katara selected a pale yellow shirt with sleeves that stopped short of the elbows and brown borders. She handed him the shirt and then continued on her search for herself.

"Thank you," Aang grinned, removing his torn up shirt and replacing it with the new one. The shirt was made of a thick weave of cotton, course to the touch but comfortable just the same. Aang stepped back from the stall and did a couple airbending stances to see how the fabric would move with his body. There were no issues with constriction present, and for that Aang was glad. He didn't want to have to tell Katara that her chosen shirt wouldn't work.

Since he was done, Aang decided to go to the other end of the decidedly large stall and pay Zuko a visit. Not that Aang wanted to converse much, but maybe he could remind Zuko of the love he has for Mai. _Maybe then he'll stop being so close to __**my girlfriend**_**. **Aang thought bitterly. Aang found Zuko leaning against the stall's outer wall, not even bothering to look since his clothes haven't received much damage. He was still walking around with just the outer layer of his travel clothes, exposing his arms and most of his chest. Aang wondered why Zuko didn't do anything to fix his current look, but Aang wasn't curious enough yet to ask.

"Need something?" Zuko asked once Aang was close enough.

"No, I was just looking," Aang replied.

"I see?" Zuko accepted, righting himself from against the wall. He gave Mai a quick glance, checking to see if she needed his help in anything.

Mai gave Zuko a bored look before she turned away. She had learned from early on in their trek that her clothes weren't functional for the type of travel they would be doing, and though she was loath to do it, Mai had no choice but to purchase commoner's clothing. She did not dare complain as she usually would however, not with Zuko so close to her side. She did not want to turn Zuko off from her, especially now since the waterbending tramp was there trying to steal him away. She would be strong and suffer the presence of his peasant friends if only to make herself appear more attractive in Zuko's eyes.

Seeing that she was fine without him, Zuko made his way to the other side of the stall in hopes of finding Katara. He could feel Aang trailing behind him, the younger bender's light steps almost imperceptible to even his keen hearing.* Zuko rolled his eyes at this, but didn't draw any attention to it. When he found Katara she had donned a black tunic that very similar in style to her original blue one. Over it she had Zuko's shirt, secured in place and showing her intent to keep it. Since Zuko's shirt was so large on her smaller frame, the hem of his short red yukata stopped an inch or so above the lower layer of black. The color scheme was strange against her skin, since she didn't make it a habit of wearing such dark clothes, but, at least to Zuko, she was still beautiful.

Katara looked up from the fabrics to find Zuko giving her an odd expression. He had his arms crossed as a half smirk tugged at his lips and his brow was arched. She shrugged her shoulders in silent askance, for once unable to understand his unspoken words. He gave Katara a blatant once over and that was all Katara needed to understand him. Katara gave him a cheeky grin, flipping her hair over her shoulder in an almost snooty fashion before turning away from him. She gave herself a once over in the vendor's only mirror, making sure she looked decent enough to travel. Though what she was currently wearing was different than she was used to, with Zuko's inner tunic hiding most of Katara's new black one, she couldn't bring herself to remove Zuko's shirt. She rather liked it and as far as Katara was concerned, the shirt was a gift and not a loan.

Katara turned from the mirror with an air of satisfaction and faced the vendor at his register. From the vendor's counter, she picked up another pale blue sleeveless tunic to serve as her alternate. She draped it over her arm and pulled what little money she had from her pouch. She made a move to pay for her choices, but the man shook his head insistently. He would not take her money, and to keep Katara from insisting that he did, the shop owner went over to Mai to help the more stoic young woman make her selections.

"Aren't you going to give Zuko his shirt back?" Aang asked once Katara's attention was free.

"Nope," Katara replied merrily, her saucy expression returning as she sashayed out of the vendor's stall and made her way over to the shop a little ways away.

"Why?" Aang continued, following close behind with Zuko trailing behind them.

"Because I can," Katara shot a glance over her shoulder her eyes jumping from Aang and landing on Zuko a little bit farther back. She was silently daring Zuko to tell her otherwise.

"But I'm sure he wants it back," Aang pressed, turning to face Zuko in hopes of getting some back up. Why would Katara want Zuko's shirt anyway? It didn't fit and it was red. It didn't suit Katara at all Aang thought darkly.

"She can have it," Zuko shrugged. "It's not like I expected to get it back in the first place anyway."

"See, no harm done." Katara walked back towards Zuko and linked her arm with his, pulling him forward so she could do the same with Aang. She didn't know what it was, but she was feeling a little better now that all the needs of her and her friends were being met. It lessened the amount of worries on her plate and left her feeling lighter.

"Mai," Zuko called over his shoulder before Katara could pull him farther away. When he saw her look up in acknowledgement he continued. "We're going to be in that store," he pointed, his free arm gesturing to the weapons' shop that Katara was leading both him and Aang towards. Mai nodded in understanding before going back to her shopping, silently giving Zuko the go ahead.

"What are we going in there for?" Aang didn't really care either way, so long as Katara kept touching him. Even though they had been together the whole time, Aang felt as if he had gone days without Katara's light. The feel of her skin against his sent jolts of pleasurable electricity down his spine and all negative emotions left him in a rush until he was lighter than air and walking on the clouds.

"I figured Zuko would want to replace his dao blades since they were lost during…" Katara couldn't finish her sentence, the memory of the sinking ship dropping her mood back down to where it began. She could feel comforting squeezes on both her arms and she flashed both young men a sorrowful smile. In the search for necessities, Katara had allowed herself to forget. Was it naïve of Katara to think that all the killing would end with the war? She didn't know, and though she had grown numb to the casualties born from war, the sinking ship was a different matter altogether. It had been an attempt on Zuko's life, for that she was absolutely certain. But why? Who would want Zuko dead, especially since he had done so much good in the world even in the short time he had been named ruler.

"Why don't we finish up so we can rejoin with the others and eat?" Zuko suggested after a poignant pause. There would be plenty of time to mourn, but now was not it. They needed to get home before more chaos ensued. _I should send a message to Uncle and let him know that we're alright. I'm sure one of the survivors already told him and the others within the fire nation, but I'm sure he would want to hear from me. _Zuko allowed himself to be led into the building; reluctantly dropping his arm from Katara's to search through the blades present. The selection was small, but Zuko knew he would have to make due with what he had.

Katara checked along the shelves with Aang, her eyes searching for water canteens that she could use since the store they were in also sold general survival goods as well. She found a few satchels that already came equipped with sleeping pallets, some of which were made of leathers and hides while others were made of fabrics. Katara went through them, running her hands over the different materials with her eyes closed and picking ones that were different in texture as she had done upon Toph's arrival into the group. She could feel Aang's displeasure at the animal skinned bags, but he would not say anything since he understood Katara's reasons for choosing them.

Upon seeing that Katara was measuring the quality of the bags she had selected, Aang broke away to continue on the search for canteens. Katara needed one since she was without protection and Aang knew that she would appreciate the gesture. He found them in a corner a little ways away and he instantly went to the largest one available. To make sure that it held as much water as the size advertised; Aang measured it with air and was pleased to see that the canteen was exactly what Katara wanted. Aang checked to see if there was another, but upon seeing none he settled for a few of the next best thing since the group would need more than just bending water. Once satisfied, he slung the water containers over his shoulder and returned to Katara's side. Katara was listing what she had grabbed to the store's clerk, who wasn't completely thrilled about just giving away his wares but made no complaint.

"I found some water canteens," Aang announced once he reached Katara's side.

"Thank you Aang, that was really sweet of you," Katara smiled before placing a kiss on his cheek.

Aang managed to catch Katara's lips in time to give her a quick peck, his cheeks glowing slightly due to his boldness. Aang turned his head sheepishly, slightly embarrassed by his actions. He wasn't completely comfortable with public displays of affection, but the need to kiss Katara was too great to deny. It had been too long since he had felt her petal soft lips against his own and he had missed them.

Zuko watched the interaction between his two friends from the other side of the shop, his stomach clenching into a tight and uncomfortable ball. He should have expected to see such loving interactions between the two, since they were together, but it was so…wrong. Watching Aang kiss Katara disgusted him and brought his blood to a boil. It wasn't right. Zuko had to look away from his friends, fearing that they would somehow know that their actions had upset him. _Katara shouldn't be kissing Aang…_ Zuko thought bitterly, the grip on the dao swords he had chosen tightening until his knuckles were white from the force of it.

Both Zuko and Aang missed Katara's expression of shame. She didn't think she should have been kissing Aang either.

* * *

Later that night the gaang could be found sitting in the main room of the guest wing in Aunt Wu's compound. With food in their bellies and a roof over their heads, they were able to relax if only for the night. The gaang sat together in a tight circle around a small table, surrounding the map Sokka had acquired and deciding on the best path that they should take on their way home. Without Appa there to fly them from place to place, the gaang had to be as specific as possible charting out how far they could go and how much they could eat between villages and towns and how much they could spend.

"Hey guys," Meng's voice greeted as she came in with a tray laden with bean curd puffs and tea. "I brought dessert."

"Thank you Meng," Katara smiled, scooting closer to Aang to make room for the girl to place the tray down.

Instead of taking the offered spot, Meng wedged herself between Katara and Aang. This resulted in Katara being shoved against Ty Lee, who was sitting to her other side. Katara didn't make a sound of complaint however, even though she was clearly displeased by the act. Meng was a pushy girl with a crush, and though Katara didn't appreciate the fact that Meng was hitting on her boyfriend, Katara didn't really do anything to stop it. She trusted Aang and his obliviousness, knowing that he wouldn't do anything to dishonor their relationship.

"I hope you like them. I made them myself." Meng continued as if nothing had happened.

"Uh…that's nice." Aang looked at Meng incredulously, unsure how to handle her.

"Let me know if you need anything else?" Though formed as a question, there was a hidden promise in Meng's words, one that was intercepted quite easily by the others. As she rose however, Meng's foot pinched her yukata onto the ground and caused her to topple over. Unable to do anything but fall, Meng braced herself for the inevitable impact with the small table the group surrounded. A strong and powerful arm snaked around her torso, catching her mid fall before the arms' owner swung her over the table before placing her feet onto the ground across from it. It all happened in the span of a few seconds and Meng could only blink in shock at the occurrence.

"Are you alright?" a deep voice questioned as the arms released her. Meng looked up to see the young, gorgeous firebender that was now traveling with Aang and his friends towering over her.

"I'm fine," she squeaked after a moment longer of silence, a rosy hue crawling up her neck and encasing her cheeks. She watched him for a moment longer as he turned from her and sat back down without another thought. "G-good night," she stammered out finally before making a hasty retreat.

"Uh oh," Sokka exclaimed once he heard the door slam.

"What?" Suki asked, cocking her head to the side curiously.

"I think someone has a new crush." Sokka's expression turned positively wicked, giving Zuko a look that clearly stated what was on his mind. "Good luck with that one, she's known to stalk."

"Great," Zuko groaned, dropping his head into his hands as everyone started to laugh at him. He could feel the heat radiate from his cheeks in embarrassment, but the light smile that tugged at his lips let the others know that he saw the humor in it.

"We should all get ready for bed now," Katara declared after a moment of more laughter from her friends, "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Though she didn't want to admit it out loud, it bothered her how Meng was able to crush on one guy and then jump to the other in a manner of seconds. Meng never even noticed Zuko until now, and now it was clear that she was absolutely smitten with him. Granted one had no control over who they did or didn't find attractive, but people could at least show some form of personal control and restraint.

"Yes mom," Toph groaned sarcastically.

"Don't give your mother any lip now sport," Zuko tossed in Toph's direction, earning a few more laughs from the gaang.

"Yes dad," Toph mock saluted before standing up from her place between Aang and Suki. The others started to rise up from their seats, following Toph's lead and going to their respective rooms.

"Why do you get to be the dad?" Sokka whined pathetically.

"Because I'm the responsible and dependable one," Zuko replied swiftly while helping Mai onto her feet. "Plus I look better."

"That, my friend, is a matter of taste and opinion," Sokka countered in a feigned intellectual tone.

"Whatever you say," Zuko teased, removing his outer tunic and dropping it over Mai's shoulders when he saw her shiver. He knew she didn't care for such gestures so he wasn't fazed or completely put off when she didn't thank him. She did smile at him though, and that was enough for Zuko…or at least it usually would have been. In a day full of 'thank you' and gratitude, it was somewhat disheartening to know that he couldn't get one from the woman who was supposed to mean the most to him.

"Good night," Mai offered to the group before she left for hers and Zuko's shared room.

Her steps were sure and graceful, full of confidence and refinement. So much so that Katara couldn't help but be envious. Katara could only dream of having such a high level of elegance that the young noblewoman possessed. Mai's long and smooth silken strands of the deepest ebony cascaded down her back, loose from the day's usual style. Her hair framed her face and augmented her flawless pale face. Nothing was out of place. Everything about her was perfect. Katara hated it.

Katara ran her fingers through her hair subconsciously and instantly regretted not finding anything more flattering for her appearance. Katara wasn't usually a vain person, but she couldn't help but feel ugly and unpolished when compared to the flawless Mai. Katara peeked over at Zuko to see the affect Mai had on him and was curious to see that his eyes were still glued to the map. He wasn't really paying Mai any attention beyond his faint echo of 'good night.'

"Katara?" Toph's voice broke Katara from her silent musing. Katara shot Toph a smile, knowing that even though Toph couldn't see it she could feel it.

"I'll be with you in a minute. I just want to ask Aunt Wu something," Katara explained as she stood. Katara tossed her hair over her shoulder and adjusted the short red yukata she wore. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly nervous. Katara had asked Aunt Wu hundreds of frivolous questions before, and yet now she couldn't bring herself to move from her placement in the room. She fiddled with the hem of Zuko's shirt anxiously, biting her lip as she thought over whether or not what she was going to ask was even important.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko asked, coming up behind her and allowing his inner flame to flare up, warming the air around both Katara and himself.

"It's nothing, just girl talk." Katara smiled, forcing her eyes to lock onto Zuko's face instead of trailing downwards over his bare chest.

Zuko couldn't really bring himself to believe Katara's words completely, but he knew better than to question her. Whenever a woman said 'girl talk' it usually meant that it was about something he really didn't want to know about, regardless if it was a feminine issue or not. Zuko nodded his understanding before he turned and left for the room he'd be sharing with Mai. He wasn't completely looking forward to sleeping next to Mai, not only due to the fact that she didn't like to be touched as she slept but because she wasn't Katara. It wasn't even a sexual drive that made him feel the way he did. Though his growing libido was one of the reasons, the main one was that when he woke up next to Katara it felt right.

Katara watched Zuko leave, taking with him his warmth. Katara didn't complain though, since Zuko was one of the reasons that she needed to talk with Aunt Wu in the first place. The other was watching her from the hall. Aang was watching Katara critically, making her feel uncomfortable. He made her feel as if she was doing something wrong by talking to Zuko, but Katara didn't know what to do about it. She did love Aang, and it hurt that he was treating her with such suspicions. She hadn't done anything intentionally to deserve his lack of trust and it wasn't fair. Aang had women flirting with him all the time and he in return flirted right back. Sure every now and again Katara became jealous, but never had she treated him in the same way he was treating her. Where she trusted Aang with everything, it seamed that he didn't trust her.

_Maybe he's right not to trust me. _Katara thought darkly, turning from Aang so she could leave the guests' common room. _I did kiss Zuko, and though it was an accident I…I liked it. _Shame filled her heart as Katara thought back to the short but heated kiss she had shared with Zuko. The way his hot lips felt against hers. The way his tongue writhed against hers in the heat of passion. The memory heated her blood and left her filled with longing. She loved the way he tasted, the way he held her, everything about him and the way he kissed. His kiss was so different from Aang's.

Where Aang's kisses were sweet and gentle, Zuko's were deep and hard. Zuko's fervor seemed limitless whereas Aang would only be so inspired on occasion, or if led by Katara. Katara enjoyed the gentle, but with Aang that was all she received. Katara could count the times with one hand the amount of times her kisses with Aang had been so…enthusiastic. Katara wanted hard. She wanted the fiery ardor. With Zuko, even though they've only had the one kiss, she felt as if her desires were fulfilled. She wanted more.

An image flashed of Zuko's body above hers. His hard and chiseled abdomen vanished between her legs and his heat seeped downwards to pool within her belly. His warm breath fanned over her face as his chest heaved from restraint. His eyes, a molten amber that seared its way into her very soul, were filled with such hunger. There was such a wildness in them that could not be tamed, try as Zuko might. What Katara wouldn't give for just one more taste of it. _I'm disgusting. _Katara wanted to cry. She should not be thinking such things. Katara made her way through the compound with quick and hurried steps, as if running from the images her traitorous mind produced.

When Katara reached the familiar door that led to Aunt Wu's work room, she stalled mid motion to knock. Should she really be asking Aunt Wu such questions? How would Katara even begin? Katara could always ask for Aunt Wu to predict her future again, but Katara felt as if such a thing would cheapen everything that she felt. Or maybe that's what she wanted. Katara didn't know how to handle the feelings she was currently feeling. She loved Aang, but what she felt for Zuko was…different. She knew she loved Zuko as she loved the others, like a friend. He was slowly becoming one of her best friends. But she could feel the love for Zuko differ from the love that she felt for Aang and the others. Katara dropped her hand and slumped her shoulders. Did she really want to know? What if the answer she received was something she didn't want? _What do I want? _Katara wondered.

_I…_

Aang's smiling and loving face flashed into her mind. Aang had done so much for her, and he had loved her for so long. He saved the world and brought her the peace that she had longed for. Aang was sweet and kind. He always strived to do the right thing and knew right from wrong without question. He cared for everyone and could bright up even the darkest day. Aang was light and hope. Aang was everything she wanted in a hero. But he was also a child in many ways.

Even now, Katara felt as if Aang needed to be protected; sheltered from the darkness that was their current reality. He needed to be cared for. He needed to be looked after. Aang needed guidance to direct him in the direction he needed to be. Aang wanted to be everywhere at once, when he couldn't. Aang wanted to save everyone and give them a happy ending, when such a thing was impossible, even for the Avatar. With Aang, Katara had to worry constantly. Katara had to mother hen him to a point where their relationship became so twisted in its complexity that even Katara became confused. Katara had to be Aang's friend, sister, mother, teacher, and now lover. It was too much for her. Aang was too much for her. She needed Aang to be her partner at all times, in all things, not her ward on most days and boyfriend on others.

_I…_

Then there was Zuko. She had hated him at first. She had hated who and what he was with such a passion that she was often left breathless from it. But, as time progressed, Katara came to know the real Zuko. He was as frightened and scared as she was, pretending to be strong for the sake of others. He understood her pain, and she understood his. When Zuko betrayed her, it was a pain that surpassed nearly all others. Katara would have gladly suffered any pain if it meant never having to feel her heart break again. In the catacombs Zuko broke her heart so completely that Katara felt she would die from it.

Katara never wanted to feel so strongly again. Yet, there she was, her heart clenching as if in a vice like grip. Why did Zuko always have to do this to her? He twisted her in knots and filled her with such confusion. After Zuko betrayed her, Katara vowed never to feel for Zuko again. She wanted to believe that he had been lying. She needed to believe he was lying in the crystal catacombs. That way, she wouldn't hurt. If Zuko didn't have a heart then the pain would go away. If Zuko didn't have a heart, then Katara wouldn't have felt as if she had failed Zuko; as if she were the one that had turned Zuko against them. Then he came back.

_I…_

At the time, Katara was ashamed of her want to forgive Zuko that very instant. She wanted to believe that Zuko had changed, that he regretted leaving her. Katara wanted to believe that what had happened in the crystal catacombs had hurt him as much as it had hurt her. Katara would have gladly given in and forgiven Zuko. But Katara had hardened her heart. She would not allow her own foolish wants and desires destroy what she had left. Aang. Sokka. Toph. They were her family. Katara encased her heart in ice to protect them. Katara would not allow herself to make the same mistake again with the lives of her loved ones on the line. She may have wanted so desperately for Zuko to be telling the truth, to be honest in his words, but she would not show it. She could not show it. In showing it, she would be lost and Zuko would have her again.

But he had won her over anyway. He had melted the ice around her heart. He had chipped at the mask that hid her true face. He had wormed his way into her heart and claimed it as his home. He suffered her words. He endured her frigidity. He listened to her words. He understood her emotions. He touched her heart. Katara was losing. She didn't want to hurt again. She was terrified of hurting again. She didn't want for it to be Zuko that hurt her. She didn't want for him to break her again. Katara grasped at straws looking for anything that would keep him away; memories of fights; memories of death and destruction; memories of her mother. Zuko was the fire nation. The fire nation took her mother away and she wanted so desperately to complete the link and blame Zuko for her death.

Zuko understood her pain. He knew she didn't believe she blamed him for her mother's death, but Zuko know that's what she wanted to believe. Zuko knew that Katara needed to blame him to keep him away. He understood the pain he had caused her, but Zuko knew that Katara couldn't poison herself with her own anger any longer. Zuko knew what she needed. He didn't judge when he knew what relieving that anger and hate could lead to. He didn't preach or belittle her like Aang did. Zuko let Katara make the choice, and he supported her completely.

_I…_

For the first time in a long time, someone had put Katara first. Zuko had put her first. He put her before everyone else, even Aang. Katara had spent most of her time with Aang as the main concern. He had always been the priority and everything and everyone else came second. But not then. When Zuko went with her to hunt down her mother's killer, that had been the most free she had been in a long time. Katara may not have been able to embrace that fact then, but now she couldn't deny the gratitude she felt for the opportunity. Zuko had given her the opportunity to let go of her hate on her terms, not anyone else's.

When they returned to the group, Katara couldn't fight what her heart had been telling her all along. Katara let her walls come down and allowed herself to feel for Zuko again. When he held her was the happiest she'd been in a long while. She didn't want to let go. Ever since it had been a losing battle against the magnetism between them, one that Katara didn't want to fight any longer.

_I don't know what to do._ Katara wrapped her arms around herself as if to contain her memories. What could she do? She loved both Aang and Zuko. That much was certain, but the loves were so different. She wanted Aang to be happy, and if being with him made him happy then dating him was the obvious step to take. She owed him that much. But she wanted to be closer with Zuko, her equal in all things save status.

"Katara, dear, please come inside?" Wu's voice inquired as the door behind Katara slid open. "You obviously have a lot to talk about."

* * *

* - Zuko met Aunt Wu in the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe"

* - Zuko one of Zuko's stronger traits is his incredibly sensitive hearing as shown in the episode "The Waterbending Master." Zuko is also capable of holding his breath for an unusually long time and is a gifted Tsungi horn player (though he doesn't much care for the instrument)

* * *

Autor's Note: I really liked the end of the chapter because I like dealing with issues born from love and lust. They are so much fun because love on its own is one of the most confusing things on this earth, followed closely by lust. But when put together, look out! You'll be getting Zuko's emotions too in the next chapter or the one following. I hope you liked the update and again I'm sorry for the long break between chapters. RnR!


	5. Chapter 3: The Misunderstood Floozy

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. I've been rather busy as of late. This chapter starts off pretty good, but there are a few crappy parts. For the most part I do like this chapter, but yeah. Anywho, I updated: YAY! :). So here's the next chapter of the fic. RnR.

* * *

Katara watched Aunt Wu enter her room and stood frozen at the entryway. She couldn't deny it to herself; she was scared. Should Katara enter? Didn't she want the answer to her problems? _What if the answer is something I don't like…or want? _Katara's feet moved of their own accord and before she knew it she was lowering herself onto one of the many plush cushions around a small fire pit. The flames cackled and the wood cracked, the sound distracting Katara from the words she did not know how to say.

"So tell me child, what troubles you so?" Aunt Wu began even though she already knew the answer. She could see the indecision spiraling around Katara's form like a whirlwind from the first moment she laid eyes on her earlier that day.

"I…well, you see I…" Katara stammered, searching for the right words. Katara didn't want to admit that she was having mixed emotions about hers and Aang's relationship. She didn't want to admit that she was harboring wants for Zuko. But what else could she do? "I'm so confused," she said finally. "I'm dating Aang, but I…"

"Find yourself wanting someone else?" Aunt Wu finished, grabbing a stick so she could poke and prod at the fire. Embers burst upwards and danced in the air before raining back down in the fire pit. "What you're feeling is completely natural and happens to everyone. So tell me about your relationship with Aang."

"What's there to tell?" Katara sighed, bringing her knees up so she could rest her chin on them. She stared into the fire with the hopes that the flames would sooth her as they usually did. Katara allowed herself to slip into a trancelike state, her mind slipping into blankness as the flames consumed her vision and erased all other sights. "Aang's great. He's sweet and loving. He's always trying to be romantic. But…it's like nothing's changed between us. I'm still chasing after him and making sure he's okay and he's…"

"Still a child?" Aunt Wu offered.

"Yes," Katara nodded. "I love him, but I feel as if… I don't think we're ready to be dating."

"I see. You want him to be the man you know he could be, but you're tired of waiting for him to grow up." Aunt Wu figured as much. Katara was a maternal being and thrived on caring for those that need her regardless of who they were or how old they were. But even so, the need to mother got old after a while. "And the other boy? Zuko?"

Katara blushed profusely, her entire face heating as a red flush crept up her neck and encased her cheeks. "How did you…?"

"I've got eyes, and I won't lie; he's quite the catch." Aunt Wu chuckled, a certain twinkle igniting in her eyes as memories of her own youth filled her. "The two of you seem to work well together, in more ways then one."

"We do," Katara agreed once her blush settled slightly. "He and I are so in sync with one another. We don't need to speak when we fight or do chores. We even walk in sync." Katara smiled at the memory of a few nights ago, when she and Zuko tried to break the synchronicity of their footsteps.

"And do you care for him like you do the others? I get the feeling that you treat him differently." Aunt Wu surmised after a short moment of thought. It really didn't take much to read the expression on Katara's face.

"I don't know?" Katara admitted. "I do care for him; he's one of my friends. I can rely on him for anything now."

"Now? You couldn't before?" Aunt Wu saw the smile Katara wore drop as darkness and sorrow wrapped around Katara like a cocoon. "Why don't you tell me about your Zuko?"

Katara didn't know where to start, so she started at the beginning. Memories spilled from her lips, rushing from them as if a river that burst through a dam. All the while Aunt Wu listened, her expressions jumping from shock and disbelief, sorrow, and then finally a secretive smile tugged at her lips. The end of Katara's story came with a yawn; she had exhausted herself in the telling of her experiences with Zuko. In so doing, Katara was able to pour out every feeling, every stress and worry, everything. Katara had kept so much bottled up within herself, unable to release the feelings she kept hidden from all, even herself. Katara wasn't even any closer to her answer than when she started, but she felt better for it.

"You really should talk to Zuko about these feelings," Aunt Wu recommended as she poured a cup of tea for the both of them.

"I don't know about that. I wouldn't even know where to begin, let alone how to start. It's not like I can go up to Zuko out of the blue and say 'hey, this is how you've made me feel from the moment I've met you." Katara peered into her cup, swirling the golden brown liquid with simple gestures of her fingers.

"You have a point there." Aunt Wu acquiesced with a shrug. "But even so, it sounds to me as if the two of you are really close, and not in the same way as with the others. You've come to rely on him a great deal from the sound of things. It must be nice having some of the weight of responsibility lifted from your shoulders."

"You have no idea," Katara smiled. "I don't know how I managed to take care of everyone before he came along."

"And yet you don't take care of him?"

"I don't need to." Katara looked at Aunt Wu as if the answer should have been obvious. Zuko wasn't a man that needed to be taken care of. "Sure we're there for each other, but I don't need to take care of him since he takes care of himself."

"He takes care of you though," Wu pointed out with a growing smile.

"Sometimes" Katara bit her lip and thought back on it. He did help her with the chores, even when she "hated" him, without being asked. He helped her keep order with the Gaang, maintaining a kind but firm hand especially with the younger ones. Ever since his introduction to the group, the two of them have fallen into the roles of…parental units almost. The thought made Katara laugh at herself, bringing one hand up to lightly smack her forehead.

"What's so funny?" Aunt Wu smiled, leaning against her arm to get more comfortable.

"Earlier tonight the two of us were likened to the parents of the group. I'm the mom and Zuko's the dad." Katara gulped down the last of her tea and placed the cup onto the ground near her feet. She slowly pulled some her hair over her shoulder and began to fiddle with it. It took her a moment to realize that Aunt Wu had stood up and was making her way around the fire and over to her side.

"I can see where they would think that," Aunt Wu chuckled. Without any warning, she dropped her hands onto Katara's head before lowering them to sweep all her hair back. Aunt Wu worked her fingers through the strands and started to comb the many tangles from it. "So tell me, how did that statement make you feel, when you were inadvertently called Zuko's wife?"

"I…I didn't really think of it that way." Katara blushed as the tension slowly eased within her body. Aunt Wu's nails raked over her scalp, sending chills down Katara's spine. It felt so wonderful to have her hair played with. "But when Toph said it I just accepted it as truth because that is how we act. I can't help but mother everyone, and Zuko took the paternal role in the group. It's not like anyone else would take the responsibility and besides, it's not like I forced him to behave like everyone's dad."

"Maybe he feels as you do; like he needs to take care and protect everyone?" Aunt Wu's fingers expertly wove Katara's hair into one long braid, working the hair in such a way that the beads in Katara's hair would remain in place even as her signature "hair loopies" vanished. "Even you."

"I guess." When Katara's braid was placed over her shoulder she stood up and stretched her legs out.

"Zuko's a good man, and I can see that you have strong feelings for him, and he for you. But you already know that. The real question is, do you want to be with him or do you want to be with Aang?"

"That's just it; I don't know. On the one hand I know Aang loves me, and it will break his heart if I leave him. But on the other I…"

"You want to know what it would be like to be with Zuko."

"I…I kissed him, once." Katara blurted out without any thoughts as to how it would pertain to the conversation or how it would make her look.

"I see…" Aunt Wu stilled for a fraction of a moment, not exactly shocked but not completely expecting Katara's words.

"It was an accident, I only meant to kiss his cheek goodnight but that doesn't change the fact that we did. I can't stop playing that moment over and over in my head and I can't help but compare his kiss to…" Was she trying to defend herself? Katara didn't know, but she found her explanation tumbling from her lips as quickly as the first admittance.

"…to Aang's? Have you told anyone else about it?" Aunt Wu doubted that Katara did, though it would do the girl a world of good. Katara needed to communicate with others more often about herself and her own complex feelings.

"No. I don't even know why I told you." Katara took to looking at her fingers, stretching her fingers out so she could see the flames dancing between them.

"You want me to tell you what to do, don't you?" Aunt Wu couldn't count the amount of times people in similar positions to Katara had asked her that. There were times when Aunt Wu really could tell them what to do to make all the trouble go away. But Aunt Wu couldn't. She could advise, but she could not dictate the lives of the troubled, no matter how much she wished it at times.

"I'm just so confused." Katara breathed as she hugged herself. She was so lost and confused. She wanted the answers. She needed the answers. She was afraid of the answers.

"I wish I could tell you what to do, I really do, but this is for you to decide. I will tell you this though, do what is right for you." Even if what was right for Katara was bad for someone else. What was two unhappy people anyway? The world wouldn't end and the youths left alone would find others to claim their hearts. Why were relationships so life or death anyway?

"But I don't know what's right for me…" Or rather, what if what was right for her was something she didn't want? Katara didn't want to hurt anyone and yet no matter what she did that's what was going to happen.

"In time you will." Aunt Wu offered, pulling Katara into a comforting hug. Katara shook in her arms with conflicting emotions. The indecision was cleaving her in two and the guilt was consuming all the rest. Aunt Wu knew that everything would be so much easier for the girl if she would just do for herself, but Katara couldn't do that. She held the needs and wants of others high above her own and it was destroying her. "Go on to bed, you have a long day ahead of you and a little one to look after."

Katara nodded in understanding before bidding Aunt Wu goodnight, grateful for the ear she offered but no more closer to the answer then when she first arrived. Katara shuffled out of the room, oblivious to the world around her as she traveled down the hall.

"Floozy" a voice whispered to her right.

Katara turned sharply in time to see Meng vanish down the hall, her heart in her throat and shame coiling in her belly. Katara curled her fists into a ball as anger engulfed the shame and made her heart race. _What right does she have to say such a thing?_ Katara seethed. Turning on her heel, Katara continued her trek to the room she shared with Toph and Tom-Tom.

* * *

Zuko bolted upwards into awareness. He had dreamt of his mother again. Looking around himself, Zuko scanned the room in hopes of finding something that could calm the raging of his heart. When nothing presented itself, Zuko tossed the covers from his body and began the hasty task of dressing himself. He peaked over his shoulder to see Mai still sound asleep, her bare leg tucking some of the blanket between her thighs. Zuko cursed himself and his stupidity, momentarily distracted from his dream.

He had taken a stupid risk last night when Mai insisted that he reassure her of his affections. He understood that she felt her place in his heart was threatened, but even so that should not have been an excuse. Though he has had sex with Mai many times in the past, he had always been prepared for the act. Zuko almost always had a supply of neem* on hand, or at least some other form of contraceptive. He knew that the herb still circulated through his system, so chances of Mai becoming pregnant was slim. Even so, Zuko would have to be more careful.*

Once dressed in his pants and ignoring the rest, Zuko left the room without another thought. He needed to get his thoughts in order and some fresh air would do him some good. He left Aunt Wu's home and stood rooted in the center of the courtyard. He took several deep breaths as the sun heated his skin and revitalized his energy. He lifted his arms and stretched them out before him, easing into one of his stances. The fire of his being ignited, coursing through his veins as Zuko moved seamlessly between his stances.

_Why did I have that dream again? _Zuko pondered, slowly bending small bursts of flame with each movement. Zuko was careful of the length and intensity of the flames to keep anyone or anything from getting burned, but that was a subconscious effort. The fading memories of his mother danced within his mind, embellished with his dream and his failure to wring her location from his father. _Where could she be?_

Without realizing his actions, Zuko increased the intensity at which he went through his morning routine. The flames became long and serpent-like, following the movements of Zuko's limbs like dogs following their master. The searing red flames arched around him, turning the earth beneath his feet black and devouring the moisture from the air. _Why am I dreaming about her now? What does it all mean? _Questions joined into the fray that was filling Zuko's mind, blinding him to the world around him.

"Zuko," Katara's voice called, accompanied by the sound of sizzling water. A cloud of steam engulfed him for a brief moment of time before it was carried away by the wind.

Katara was revealed to him then, her braided hair draped over her shoulder and her arms crossed. The red of his under yukata parted slightly at her chest due to her crossed arms, revealing a small cleft of cleavage and the white of her under wrapping. She had chosen to forgo donning her recently purchased tunic for reasons beyond Zuko's understanding, but he really couldn't bring himself to complain. Her legs were mostly hidden from view by her shadow black pants that had been rolled up to just below her knees, exposing her calves and bare feet to Zuko's gaze. All in all she looked like a fighter, and a gorgeous one at that. _She should wear my cloths more often, _he thought.

"Good, morning Katara," Zuko greeted. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly when he caught sight of scorch marks along the wall behind Katara, knowing that he had let his attention slip.

"Morning," she repeated with a tired smile. Katara had every intention of getting as much sleep as she possibly could, but the smell of smoke had roused her from her sleep within seconds. The past was still heavy in her heart, and she had been up and ready to fight within seconds. Fortunately she was the only one to awaken because she knew she would have been teased horribly if Toph had woken up as well. The said girl was still sleeping soundly on her side of the ridiculously large bed, her arm slung over one of the pillows that boxed Tom-Tom in. When Katara saw that everything was as it should be, she pulled on her pants and Zuko's yukata. She didn't care to put anything else on since she could already tell that today was going to be a hot one. She bent over at the waist to roll up her pant legs and left the room without another thought, knowing that Zuko was awake. Who else would be up so early in the morning?

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Zuko apologized. Katara never woke up before the sun had risen over the horizon unless something woke her. She got up even later still when Zuko took over breakfast duty.

"It's alright." Katara waved Zuko's statement away and yawned. Walking backwards until her back hit the wall of Aunt Wu's compound, Katara slid down to the ground and stretched her legs out. "Something on your mind?" Katara patted the ground next to her in silent invitation, one which Zuko accepted without second thought. He claimed the spot next to Katara with barely an inch between them.

"Nothing much, really, I've just been thinking." Zuko admitted as he settled himself.

"What about?" Katara asked gently.

"It's nothing," Zuko insisted, slightly embarrassed to admit that he had been dreaming about his mother like some child.

"Come on, you can tell me," Katara pressed, bumping her shoulder against Zuko's in a friendly manner. She giggled when he bumped her back.

Zuko sobered after a moment and ran a hand through his now shoulder length hair. "I dreamt about my mom," Zuko finally said.

The smile left from Katara's face and she stared at Zuko with a baffled expression. Slowly, as if not to startle him, Katara lifted one of her arms and draped it over his shoulder. Due to the difference in height, Katara had to lift herself onto her knees. This resulted in a hug that Zuko gladly sank into, his damaged ear pressing against Katara's chest with the rapid beating of her heart echoing within his cranium. "What was it about," she asked finally, running her fingers through his hair.

"I…I don't really know. In it I'm a child again and my mother is standing in the center of a lake. All around I can hear giant wing beats, but all I can see is my mother, looking just as she did before she…before she left. Everything else was so bright. I remember trying to run to her, but then fire started raining down on me and the water surged upwards. Everything was spinning and blurring together, but I didn't care. I ran to her anyway. But the farther I ran the farther away she was."

"Did you reach her?" Katara leaned into Zuko as if doing so would reveal the answer sooner.

"No. I always wake up before I can." Zuko sighed morosely.

"I see. Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something?" Katara believed that with all of her being. Dreams revealed many things about one's self. Even things one wasn't always aware of.

"Like what? That I should look for her?" Zuko's words came out as a bark of laughter. It wasn't dark in any way, just mildly sarcastic as if the thought was something that really shouldn't happen. As soon as he said it though, that was exactly what Zuko wanted. He wanted to go looking for his mother. She had given him life and love and it was the least he could do. He needed to find her.

"…Maybe we should. I mean, it's not like anyone can tell you otherwise. For all anyone in the Fire Nation would be concerned, you found her on the way home." Katara could see the thoughts spiralling in Zuko's amber pools and merely voiced what she read in them.

"Has anyone told you how brilliant you are?" Zuko asked as he wound his arm around Katara's waist and stood, pulling her up with him. Katara's legs dangled a few inches from the ground and her arms snaked around his neck to hold herself up even though she really didn't need to. They shared a smile and Zuko placed her down on her feet.

"It's always nice to hear," Katara giggled. "You should probably send a messenger hawk to your uncle Iroh to keep him informed. Wouldn't want him thinking that you've died."

"I sent one yesterday alerting him of my whereabouts, but I think we should hold off on telling him about my search until we run it by the others. I don't know if they'll be too keen on the idea." Zuko explained.

"Why wouldn't they be?" When Zuko didn't answer, Katara put two and two together. "You're worried about Mai, aren't you?"

"I know everyone else will be on board with the idea, but Mai's another story entirely. She doesn't…care like you do." Zuko didn't know what other words to use to describe Mai's probable reaction. It's not that Mai was as emotionless as she led others and himself to believe, she was just very selfishly driven. It wasn't even that. She knew what was expected of her and diverting from the path was far from acceptable. The thought of looking for his mother probably would clash with what was expected of them. As such, she would never agree to it. She would turn her back on her own kin if that's what was expected of her. But then, since he was the Firelord maybe she would agree…or maybe she wouldn't. She would probably want him to go back home to resume his rule.

"I see…" Katara dropped her gaze from Zuko's so she could focus on his scar, her mind racing for anything that could be said to lift Zuko's spirits.

"Don't worry about it," Zuko said, dropping his arms from around her waist enough so that his hands rested on Katara's ample hips. "Even if she doesn't want to, I'm sure I'll be able to convince her. So…up for a spar?"

"Here?" Katara asked incredulously, at a loss of what to do given their previous conversation. It was an odd change of subject to be sure. As much as she enjoyed a good spar, especially with Zuko, she feared that such a thing would result in unnecessary damage since the two of them tended to go all out. Katara doubted she knew how to hold back against an opponent such as Zuko.

"No bending." At seeing Katara's hesitant expression, Zuko cocked his head to the side curiously. Katara rarely ever passes up the opportunity to have a sparring match. Now that he thought on it, she had never turned down a chance to spar with him. Never.

"I've never actually fought without bending," Katara admitted sheepishly, averting her gaze so Zuko wouldn't see the extent of her embarrassment.

"Really?" Zuko stared at Katara incredulously, again finding himself marveling at the cultural differences between the two. In the Fire Nation, you learned non-bending combat before you learned to bend. That's just how it was. But to hear that with Katara it was different completely baffled him and simply would not do. "We're going to have to fix that."

"How, you plan to teach me?" Katara arched one of her delicate eyebrows at him,* crossing her arms and leaning on one leg so that her hip jutted out to the side.

"Just call me Sifu," Zuko smirked, grabbing Katara's hand and pulling her to his original location at the center of the courtyard. There were a few villagers milling about in the early morning, but for the most part the village was still sleeping.

Katara found herself blushing at the contact of their hands, marveling at how much larger his hand was compared to hers. When they stopped, he placed himself behind her and helped her into the first of many stances that he had learned as a child, not that dissimilar from the ones he had gone through earlier that morning. He then placed himself at her side so Katara could mimic his actions. Zuko tapped his foot against one of Katara's playfully to nudge it a bit farther against the ground, earning a giggle while making his corrections.

"Good form so far," Zuko commented, placing a hand on Katara's waist to guide her spine into a better alignment with her shoulders. She bumped his hand back with her hip mischievously, her impish grin earning her a playful flick. "You are going to be a pain in my ass, aren't you?" Zuko found himself asking with a grin of his own. A playful Katara was always a fun one and there was never a dull moment when that side of her peeked through.

"What can I say," she shrugged nonchalantly, "I love making your life difficult."

"Don't I know it," Zuko chuckled. He stepped back from Katara's form and guided her through the first few katas. His hands would occasionally drift to Katara's form, repositioning her in a more hands on method. It was strange, he never touched Aang anywhere near as much while teaching him. With Katara however it was so natural. No, that was wrong. It wasn't so much natural as it was a necessity. Zuko needed to touch Katara. As much as he enjoyed her company and presence, he loved the feel of her skin against his in any capacity.

Katara looked over her shoulder coyly when Zuko's body was suddenly flush against her back. She could feel the full length of his body through her cloths and she was suddenly hyper aware of him. She could feel the dips and curves of his chiseled muscles and the heat that radiated from them. Her breath caught in her throat as the smell of smoke, sandalwood and something else that was so purely masculine that she couldn't stop her own body from heating at the mere smell of him. Her stomach literally felt empty as a heat pooled within her. She wanted more of it. She wanted to feel more of him. Then he was closer.

Zuko almost groaned when Katara's body came into contact with his so fully. He could feel every swell and plunge of her body against his and he found himself pressing harder against her until it was no longer about guiding her. It was about feeling her. His hands dropped to Katara's hips as if to pull her closer, resting his forehead against the back of Katara's head as he slowly did so. Slowly, his hands slid forward to loop around her waist, holding Katara in a hug that she readily returned. Her arms covered his own and she leaned back into him more fully. It felt so right in that moment. He didn't want to let her go for anything.

"Floozy."

Both Zuko and Katara jerked into alertness, their eyes wide and guilty as they realized what it was they were doing. As one, the two turned to see Meng leaning against the entrance to Aunt Wu's home. Here eyes were set into a glare while her lips were tugged into a particularly nasty grin. It was never her intention to be heard by them, but now that she was Meng couldn't really bring herself to care. How could she? She was speaking the truth. Katara had a boyfriend sleeping soundly in the house and yet there she was acting like a harlot with someone else. She didn't know what it was that Aang saw in Katara, but Meng really hoped that he realized soon before his heart was shredded into little pieces.

"What did you call her?" Zuko asked, his voice hollow and devoid of emotion. He prayed to Agni that he heard wrong, not knowing what to do if that wasn't the case but fearing how he would react if he heard right. No one insulted Katara in front of him, ever. That's how it always has been and that's how it always will be. There was no getting around that with him. Then a wave of guilt hit him when he realized one important fact, what the two of them were doing was indeed wrong. What he and Katara were enjoying warranted insults and slandering names. It was then that Zuko backed away from Katara completely. Katara was being insulted because of him. It was his fault such a name was sent hurtling in Katara's direction. Zuko would not allow for that to happen and would do anything to keep her name and reputation as flawless as it deserved to be. Even if it meant backing away…but could he really?

"I called her a floozy." Meng repeated. Katara was after all.

"Who's a floozy?" Another voice asked. It was later to be revealed that the owner of said voice was Mai who had woken up alone in her bed. It wasn't a rare occurrence for her and it was one she preferred, but that morning she was feeling particularly clingy by her standards. Behind her Aang and Suki walked out as well, yawning but eager to start the day. They made up the rest of the early risers within the group and they were shocked to see both Katara and Meng up and about at such early hours.

"She is," Meng clarified, gesturing with her finger to Katara. Her eyes were solely on Aang and her expression became imploring. "She's playing with you. She's been flirting with that boy behind your back."

"I've done no such thing!" Katara exclaimed with her face flushed. She felt shame born from lies fill her even though she knew she spoke only truth. She was not fooling around with Zuko. She never would. She had given herself to Aang and regardless of what she wanted that fact would remain. She was not some betrayer that snuck around in the dark of the night. Katara wasn't capable of such a thing, at least not intentionally. With the kiss shared filling her mind and dominating her memory, Katara's voice wavered as did her conviction.

"Meng is just making stuff up to break the two of you up." Zuko added in Katara's defense. He was not blind. He could see the infatuation Meng had with Aang. Zuko could see the attraction Meng had to himself as well. Maybe that was the real issue. Meng was merely projecting herself onto Katara and really didn't see anything that would be truly incriminating. If he could protect Katara from a crime he was the true guilty party of then he would cling to any fact he could grasp. "I was teaching her non-bending combat when Meng came out. The wrong conclusion was made. Katara and I have done nothing wrong." Zuko's voice was smooth as he tried to play it off, but his eyes were absolutely vicious. When they landed on Meng he looked absolutely evil. "So I would really appreciate it if you didn't call Katara anything other then her name."

There was a threat in his voice, one that went unnoticed to all but Meng herself. Her face paled and a chill ran down her back. She didn't say anything, but Meng decided that hiding behind Aang would probably be the best option for herself.

"I…I guess…" Aang agreed, taking the words of his sifu over the words of Meng…though he did wonder. Zuko was a hands on instructor, not as much as Katara, but he was hands on. The wrong conclusion could be made. But then there was that little voice in the back of Aang's head telling him that Meng might be right. Katara and Zuko have been getting really close as of late, remarkably so. Then there was that terrible morning. What if Meng was right to say such a thing? But then, it wouldn't be Katara's fault. It could never be his Katara. If a misunderstanding was made then it absolutely had to be Zuko's fault. Zuko's eyes have been known to wander…the culprit must be him.*

The more Aang thought about it the surer of his theory he became. If there was a true misunderstanding, then that was okay because depending on how you look at something it looks wrong. But if it wasn't, Aang had no doubt in his mind that Zuko was to blame.

Fortunately, Sokka and Aunt Wu chose that time to walk out and put an end to the discussion by sending Meng off to run errands. The atmosphere that remained however was wrought with strife and distrust. Something was going on and the others did not like what it was doing to the foundations of their group.

* * *

Leaving the small village of Makapu was made easier then expected after the fleeting comment made by Meng. Zuko was still fuming over the matter and it was made evident by his long distance eating strides. He was far ahead of everyone else, leading the group and leaving Tom-Tom in the capable hands of Suki. The child would normally be placed in the care of Katara since it had been decided at first that it would be her turn to care for the child, but she wasn't in a proper mood to deal with such a young child. She was a pulling up the rear of the group, needing to be alone for a moment because of the shame she felt deep within her heart. Occasionally Katara would lift her eyes to look at the Gaang or Zuko, but for the most part they were downcast.

Sokka, who led the group a good distance behind Zuko, held his newly purchased map up for inspection and carefully monitored the trail to the Seedy Merchant's peer they walked. He did not wish for the group to get lost, especially so close to such a questionable location. Such a place was no place for young children or young women to go about unattended and as such Sokka would be vigilant in his observations of the terrain. At least, that's what he told everyone when asked. In truth, he was using the map as a veil to hide his suspicious gaze and incensed heart. For that girl to make such a disgusting accusation about his baby sister, who had done nothing wrong and probably never would, was unforgiveable. However, where there was smoke there was bound to be a fire in most cases. Suki had told him what had happened and even though he wasn't there for the whole thing, he might as well have been.

Was there merit in what Meng had said? Regardless, such a word should and would never be synonymous with his sister, but what if? Even before Aang and Katara became an item he had his doubts about the two of them being together, and a great part of him didn't approve of the relationship in the least. A smaller part of him wished for Katara to be his single, innocent, and pure baby sister again. He knew that could never be the case, and as such he would be willing to settle with the hope that Katara would be in a good relationship where she will be taken care of and allowed to blossom into the woman he knew she would be. Though he loved the avatar as if he were his own brother, Sokka did not think Aang could be that for her. Was it possible that Katara was realizing this as well? And if so, could her eyes already be wondering? Or could it be that her heart belonged to someone else to begin with and she had only trapped herself with Aang out of some form of responsibility.

Sokka did not want to think that was the case, but knowing her as well as he did that was a strong possibility. If that was the case, then who? The only guy Katara had ever really shown interest in was Jet, and though Katara really did care for him regardless of what he did, Sokka doubted she had the chance to fall in love with him. Then there was the thing with Haru. Again, she cared for him a great deal, but Katara did not love him in that kind of way. Also, in both cases, Meng had no knowledge of the two of them and their relationships with Katara. The only other person Sokka could think of was Zuko, but that was impossible. They were close friends, that's it. There couldn't possibly be anything going on between them.

_It wouldn't be so bad though, _Sokka found himself thinking. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought, but it persisted in his mind. Zuko was a great guy. He was strong and capable in bending, hand to hand combat, and swordplay. There was no question if he could protect Katara should anyone threaten her safety. He was also quick to defend her honor, faster then even Aang and himself and that earned him several brownie points. Zuko was attractive, though not as good looking as himself, but he still turned heads. He was educated. He was a gentleman. What brother wouldn't wish for their sister to have that; a prince charming that would and could be there for them and protect them. He was still Zuko, but Sokka could accept Zuko as a suitor for Katara. He obviously wouldn't be, but Zuko was way better then the other options…_If only he wasn't Fire Lord…_ Sokka frowned, knowing that Zuko's nationality was the only thing that kept him from being Katara's ideal suitor. Fire nation customs were too complicated and Sokka feared what all the power such a union would give Katara would do to her.

Sokka shivered as the thought of a Fire Lady Katara, with control over thousands as well as the most powerful man on the planet second only to Aang….on some days wrapped around her pinky. The thought was not a pleasant one. Katara had enough power over him as it was; he didn't want to think what she'd do with even more. _Now to go to happier thoughts…What's up with him?_ Sokka pondered when his eyes landed on the morose Aang. He thought with the distance between Zuko and Katara, the young Avatar would be elated.

"What's eating you?" Sokka asked in a low voice, hoping that none of the others could overhear him.

"Just thinking," Aang admitted, blinking his grey expression away to a brighter one by comparison.

"What about?" Sokka rolled up his map as he spoke, relying on the beaten trail on which they walked to guide them in the right direction.

"Well…It's about what Meng said." Aang sighed, his mind racing.

"What she said was a lie," Zuko growled, having overheard the conversation with his acute hearing.* He'd said it before and he'll say it again a thousand times.

Aang and Sokka both flinched, both looking up to see Zuko stopped a few feet ahead of them. The firebender had his back turned to them and looked at them over his shoulder. The scarred side of his face was visible through the parts in his shaggy hair, but the powerful and dangerous gleam in his amber eyes could not be missed. Zuko would have nothing else said over the matter and that did not need to be said. Aang gulped and dropped his gaze to the ground nervously, feeling guilty for even voicing the word even though he did not believe it for a second. Sokka however, stared at Zuko in wonder, pleased and awestruck by the ferocity in Zuko's gaze for the defense of his little sister. Sokka canted his head in silent and almost reverent thanks before the three continued onwards.

Feeling the awkward weight settle over his shoulders, Aang decided to bring up a change in subject. "Um, isn't Senlin village nearby?"

"Yeah, it's about a two days walk from here, why?" Sokka narrowed his eyes in suspicion and slowed to a halt. The group shrank as the distance between individuals vanished until only Zuko was far away, but still close enough to hear what was being said.

"We should go visit," Aang said, suddenly excited. "We hadn't been there in a long time and I want to see how everybody's doing."

"No!" Sokka exclaimed. "Absolutely not! You remember what happened the last time we went?" Sokka waved his arms around enthusiastically, the memory of Hei Bei and his rampage playing itself vividly in his mind's eye. The thought of being a dangerous spirit's target again did not appeal to him, not in the least. The very thought was preposterous. It was ridiculous.

"We definitely should," Katara voiced, eying the map and waving Zuko over so he could be an active participant in the discussion. "It's on the way," she added with a smile, the day's previous events seemingly vanishing into the distance.

"No, it's out of the way," Sokka argued. When Zuko came closer to look at the map, Sokka unfurled it with the hope that the other male would see things similarly to himself. If he could get Zuko to agree with him then the issue would be dropped. Zuko was the only person the others listened to over Katara, and even though that was a rare occurrence it was one he was willing to bet on. "See, we're going here and Senlin village is over there." Sokka pointed to the two points on the map, but one look at Zuko showed him that he lost the argument again. _I really need to get more authority within the group…_ Sokka grumbled.

"It is on the way and that route is safer to travel by. It will add an extra day of travel, but I chose safety over time." Zuko voiced, keeping his ulterior motive to himself for the time being. He would not be able to live with himself if he just walked passed a village without investigating it for his mother's whereabouts. There was a chance that his mother wasn't there, and that chance was higher then the alternative, but it was one he was willing to take. He meant what he said as well, and the route he suggested had a less likelihood of bandits and other threats.

"Alright, at the next fork in the road we gotta take a right," Sokka relinquished. A kiss on his cheek from Suki lifted his spirits. Sokka was quick to steal another kiss when he thought no one was looking, one that was both soft and chaste as their lips pressed together lovingly. He didn't know what it was about the act of kissing Suki, but regardless of how he kissed her or why, his spirit was always lifted to a place of untold weightlessness and light. Sokka loved kissing her; so much and he always would seize the opportunity to let her know in some way. 'I love you,' he mouthed to into the kiss.

'I love you too,' smiled brightly, giving Sokka another kiss. She knew he was feeling bitter about his authority being overthrown again. She personally thought he shouldn't let it bother him since it was always going to happen, but she'd given up on the matter and just settled for comforting her beau instead. It was far more pleasurable for the both of them that way. Katara was the one in charge of the group, regardless of what everyone else said. What she said went and Zuko was her enforcer. Very rarely would Zuko decide against her and it was high time Sokka learned that. _It's high time that he learns that his little sister isn't so little anymore. It's about time she learned that too. She has Zuko so wrapped around her little finger that it's almost disgusting. _Suki shook her head at the obliviousness of the males in the group…and Katara. She, Ty Lee, and Toph had a running bet going; how long before Zuko and Katara slip up and kiss. Her bet was that it would happen by the next new moon. Toph's bet was by the full moon, and Ty Lee bet that it already happened. There was no way to find out as it stood currently, but it was only a matter of time before the girls all had their alone time.

Suki chuckled to herself before looping her arm around Sokka's. They began to walk again once it was decided how much farther they would try to go before they set up camp. She hoped they would be able to continue till sundown, but the little one strapped to her back was starting to get a bit fussy. Tom-tom's chubby fist clenched at a clump of her hair, not pulling it but the light grip he held on it was a constant presence in the back of her mind. It was unnerving and the strong desire to remove his hand from her hair was almost too great to deny due to her absolute loathing of having someone behind her. She hated having her hair pulled more. Suki tensed for a split second when Sokka's arm pulled from her grip and went behind her, his constant touch letting her know where his hand was at all times. It was his way of being considerate of her dislike whenever he wrapped his arms around her. His large and calloused hands gently unwrapped Tom-tom's fingers from her hair, allowing his arm to rest over her shoulders so the little one could cling to the strap of leather that fastened his arm guards. Suki smiled her thanks, leaning into Sokka's touch and relaxing. Her trust in Sokka was so great that her tension melted soon after.

The two walked in a blissful silence, leading the group since Zuko had taken to walking far ahead with Katara in tow. The two were conversing about one thing or another, but she didn't really care enough to listen in. Her main concern was making sure that Sokka was able to maintain the rest of the group's order. The group's foundations were shaking around them and starting to crumble due to the additions to the group and the drama that seemed to blossom around them now that Katara had started dating Aang. The said Avatar was again taking a morose expression since Katara was with Zuko again. She understood why Aang was so upset, but it was his own fault since he was doing nothing to stop the growing relationship between Katara and Zuko. So far it was nothing to be afraid of, but that was only for the time being. The two were like magnets being pulled in each other's direction and it was only a matter of time before they collided in a powerful display of passion and ardor. There was no stopping that, and if Aang didn't even try then the fault would only lie in Aang's hands.

_The wonders of the human heart,_ Suki sighed. She looped her arm around Sokka's waist and surrendered her thoughts to her surroundings. She may not hold much sway in the decision making in the group, but with safety there was no question where she stood and the authority she held in that field. She was second only to Zuko and rarely would he overstep her word over the matter. In that, the two were of the same mind so there was never a need for anyone or anything other then the safety of Katara and the Avatar, in that order as their time together progressed. Suki just hoped that the drama didn't become too much too fast. _We should put a dating ban on the group; no one but Sokka and I are allowed to date._ Nodding to herself at the thought, Suki continued her mental emptying so that she could focus on her self appointed task.

"Can I change my bet?" Toph asked.

"Not a chance." Suki replied absentmindedly, flicking some of Toph's hair when the girl came within reach.

"But I want to push up the date," she insisted, stamping her foot to get a better reading on the two teens that were far ahead.

"Why would you want to do that? I already won so there's no reason. You two should just pay up." Ty Lee interrupted, abandoning Mai who was a few feet behind them in favor of visiting her considerably more cheerful friends.

"What bet?" Sokka asked.

The girls just ignored him and giggled. Unbeknownst to them, Zuko wasn't the only one with remarkably good hearing.

* * *

When night fell, the gang had returned to their usual antics and activities. Katara had started dinner. Sokka and Zuko had returned from their hunt. Aang had returned with Momo and Toph with the roots and berries they had gathered, no vegetables, but they had more then enough for that night and the following ones. Suki and Ty Lee set up the camp's perimeter and were working on the group's tents without a care for who they belonged to. They just set them up. Mai was supposed to be watching Tom-tom, but the since she was lounging about, the child had latched himself to Katara's leg. Aang was quick to remove the child when he saw that he was tripping his girlfriend up, hoping that the act would earn him some extra points. It did, but his reward wasn't anything special in that it was only a grateful smile. Aang loved Katara's smile, but he was hoping for a kiss.

"Hey Katara, is there anything else I can do?" Aang asked brightly, balancing the toddler on his hip as he had seen Zuko do several times before during their short trip.

Katara smiled as she sliced the roots with the only knife in their cooking kit. She missed her cooking supplies, longing for her forks, knives, pots and pans. "Can you keep Tom-tom active? I want him to sleep through the night." She requested. She dumped the chopped up roots into the pot of boiling water and made a move to skewer the meat for cooking only to see Zuko had already done it. She would have preferred to have the meat in the stew, but since they only had one pot and Aang was a strict vegetarian, they would have to settle. She smiled regardless, thanking Zuko for his forethought.

"No problem," Zuko shrugged as he punched the air. A long stream of flames ignited and sailed into the fire pit, making the red flames shift to a near blinding yellow and blue. It wasn't quite the searing blue of his younger sister's flame, but it was considerably hotter then his usual. Once finished, he claimed a seat by Katara and the pot, watching her bend over to examine the meal she was preparing as she stirred. His eyes trailed over the slope of her spine down to her small waist and supple hips. He felt a flare of guilt in his heart, but he couldn't stop himself. Even with what had happened before, he always found himself eager for more; the kiss, their growing closeness, the fracturing of his and Katara's respective relationships, the glorious accidents. Even with Mai watching him from the edge of the camp site, he couldn't stop looking at her and the guilt was eating away at him. What was worse, these actions were eating away at Katara as well. Why else would what Meng said hurt her so much? Zuko bit his lip and forced his gaze off of Katara, needed to cool off but unable to rip himself from his place on the ground.

"Zuko, is something wrong?" Katara asked, her voice low so as to not draw the attention of the rest of the group. She sat on the ground next to Zuko, leaving little space between them. Even with everything going on, she couldn't stop herself from needing his closeness. She drew safety and comfort from it. She didn't know how else to describe it. Something about being near Zuko just felt right. She bit her lip and dropped her gaze to the fire pit. It wouldn't be long before dinner was ready.

"It's…It's nothing," Zuko lied, bending his legs so he could rest his elbows on his knees. He dropped his head so that his brow rested on his laced fingers, allowing his shaggy hair to spill around his head to shroud most of his face.

"You used to be a better liar," Katara sighed, leaning against Zuko so she could rest her hand on his back. Mimicking an action she'd seen her brother do with Suki, Katara trailed her hand up Zuko's back until she reached the nape of his neck. She felt him shiver under her touch, but did not stop till her hand was nestled in his thick mess of hair. She gently combed her fingers through it in a soothing fashion, marveling at its softness. A small part of her felt a spark of envy ignite at how easily his hair parted for her fingers; her own hair tangled easily if left lose for long periods of time.

Zuko shivered again and bit back a moan of pleasure. He felt himself lean into Katara's touch and did nothing to stop it. He needed the comfort and to have it so readily given without him asking and by Katara no less was a true gift. He could feel his undamaged ear press against the fabric of Katara's shirt, her beating heart sounding powerfully and echoing his own. There was a slight flutter in the beating born from its irregularity, one that he had accustomed himself long ago when he discovered it. "You're heart's copying mine," he told her tiredly.

"My heart's funny, leave me alone," Katara pouted with feigned upset. She crossed her arms and turned her head sharply to the side to further the act. She would let Zuko change the subject for the time being since it most likely had something to do with them and what had happened earlier that day. When Zuko's head landed on her lap however her form relaxed and she stared down at Zuko bewilderedly. His cheek rested against her thigh and all she could see was the scarred side of his face. Zuko stared at the flames of the fire blankly, a forced smile tugging at his lips but not quite settling on his face. Katara couldn't do much else but blink down at him before she relaxed. "You've gone a long time without rest, haven't you?"

"There is no rest for the wicked." Zuko's expression dropped and his lashes fluttered closed, hiding the glowing amber of his eyes.

"You're not wicked," was all Katara could say.

"Sometimes I wonder…" Zuko's words trailed off into silence as his breathing became slow, deep and even. His exhaustion which reached all spectrums had finally reached its limits, seizing the comfort and safety Katara offered. Out of everyone he knew, out of every name he could recall, Katara was the one he could trust so completely with everything, even in the days when they were enemies. In that moment, he trusted her with his life. He couldn't help it. Her nails scraped gently over his scalp while she combed through his hair. Her natural perfume of gardenias, chocolate and the sea filled his lungs with its soothing and alluring scent. The warmth of her supple body and the heat of the flame protected him from the chill of the night. He was so tired.

"Is he okay?" came Toph's voice as the young earthbender approached the two.

"He just fell asleep," Katara explained. She continued with her actions of running her fingers through his hair and occasionally caressing his scarred cheek. "He hadn't been sleeping all that well lately. He's exhausted."

"Do you know why?" There was no question beneath the question, as Toph was known to give. The concern in Toph's voice was plainly evident. Toph sat at Katara's other side and gave Zuko's head a pat. She marveled at the texture of his hair and cheek, knowing of his scar but never actually 'seeing' it. It was terrifying to be sure, but at the same time she couldn't see Zuko without it. Toph decided that then that she wanted some of Katara's attention as well and rested her own head against Katara's chest.

"I'm not at liberty to say." Katara decided to give, unsure exactly what to say on the matter since it was Zuko's story to tell. Lifting her hand, Katara started to stroke Toph's hair as well. Toph seemed to come to Katara more and more lately for this kind of affection and it always warmed her own heart to give it. The closeness she felt with the little earthbender was such a wonderful thing that Katara couldn't help but be brought to a smile every time she thought about it.

"So you know then? I wonder why that is?" Mai voiced, her words sharp and slicing through the atmosphere as swiftly as one of her stiletto blades.

Katara's matronly smile fell and her lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't know the whole story, so I can't say. What I do know isn't for me to tell." Katara kept her words devoid of emotion, the husky sound of Mai's voice made something in her stomach coil tightly. Her body bowed a fraction over Zuko's and Toph's bodies as if to form a shield of her own. It took her a moment to realize what she had done, but she did nothing to correct the action.

"It's funny how he seems to tell you everything. Maybe you can tell us why _that_ is," Mai pressed, digging for something to use as ammunition against Katara to prove that her suspicions were founded in fact.

"I dunno, maybe because I listen? Maybe because I care? If he wants to talk to someone then I'm more then happy to be that person." Katara lashed out, angry with the accusatory tone she was receiving from Mai. "Sorry for being Zuko's friend." Katara lowered her voice when she felt Zuko stir on her lap, his body shifting and tensing as if preparing to attack. He wasn't waking up, but he didn't need to.

"You have your own boyfriend," Mai barked with far less care. "Stop chasing after mine."

"He's my friend, and nothing more. What I do for him is the same as what I do for everyone else. If that's a problem then that's too bad because it's not going to change. I will always be there for someone who needs me. When Zuko needs to talk to someone, I'm there to listen. It has nothing to do with me trying to steal your boyfriend." There was so much conviction in her voice, and yet Katara felt as if she was lying at least in part. She was stealing him away from Mai, because he deserved and needed better. She was stealing him from Mai so that he wouldn't spend night after night with little sleep because he's afraid of what will happen when his eyes were closed. She was stealing him from Mai so that Zuko would have that shoulder to rely on. She was not stealing Zuko for herself. She would never do that….at least…not intentionally.

* * *

*1 – Neem is an herbal contraceptive used in India by both men (orally) and women (as a spermicide). Basically think of it as the birth control of the olden days.

*2 – No, Mai is not pregnant, but the information is there for a reason. There's a method to my madness.

*3 – Eyebrows plucked courtesy of Suki. Legs waxed, courtesy of a spa day during the peace summit. Around this emulated time period such methods of grooming had already become rather popular among the middle and higher social classes. Katara was also tricked into getting a bikini wax done, which at the time she greatly regretted. Now…she's deciding whether or not she'll go through it again whenever the opportunity presents itself.

*4 – Have you seen Katara? Anyone and their mother would look at her. Aang's just referring to a time when he caught Zuko looking at Katara after she finished sparring with Aang. She tends to bend in her undergarments so of course Zuko would look. Her undergarments are white after all…he just wants to see how thick the wrappings are.

*5 – Just a reminder, Zuko has ridiculously good hearing, even with his ruined ear.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you liked it :). I actually wrote the scene after the whole floozy thing first and I tried to work things around it since I loved the scene so much. I also loved how Mai completely doesn't see Toph when she says Katara pays extra attention to Zuko. :)


	6. Chapter 4: Taking a Step Back

**Author's Note:** I'M ALIVE! I am so incredibly sorry for vanishing on you guys for so long. I swear it was not my intention. As I said in my One Piece fanfic, I've been working two jobs and taking care of my mom. Still am, though I'm quitting my job because I don't want to be involved in something illegal. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING ONLINE! **EVER**! It's a rip off in the end! As former tech support for one of the places, I can honestly say it's all a scam and get out while you can, or better yet, don't get involved. My ass left the minute I realized what the hell was going on. Yeah, no. I am not getting arrested for some asshole out to get money quick by breaking laws and ripping people off. Also, I think he had me look out for an illegal car drop off. I hate my life! I for seriously do. Now I'm sitting in a fast food joint trying to post to my fanfic because I haz no interwebz . Anywho, after a year, here's the next chapter of Dragons. For the readers of my other fanfics, I'm working on them. Just give me some time. I gotta get back into the grove of things and all I've written is way passed the point where you guys are. I don't write in a linear fashion usually, so yeah. Sorry for the delay.

Working hard. Working fast.

Anywho, without further ado, the next chapter. Sorry it's so long….16,254 words….and I could have gone longer but I didn't want to have to break the chapter into two. So yeah, long read is long! RnR. Love you guys. Sorry again.

* * *

Zuko woke up to Katara's announcement that dinner would be ready soon just as she was about to get up. He had partially woken up a few times before, but for the most part slept through and through for the few minutes of absolute rest he was able to get. He could feel the tension in the air born from another fight that most likely broke out within the group. He didn't know what the fight was about, nor if there absolutely was one, but his gut had yet to fail him. His key signifier was Katara and the rigidness of her back and the thin line of her pursed lips. The other came in the form of Ty Lee sitting as still as possible, her eyes darting back and forth between Katara and Mai as if trying to choose between them. Zuko then looked down on Toph's head, noting that she had taken to dozing next to him without fully reaching a deep slumber. He gave her shoulder a light caress, ending in an even softer shake of her petite form. "What happened?"

Toph's mouth opened wide in a yawn, stretching out her body before rolling to her side to face the firebender that was like a brother to her. "Your girlfriend decided to pick another fight with Sugar Queen because you can talk to Katara and not her." She explained everything with a lazy, deep breathing that came with her being tired. The earthbender struggled to cling to consciousness, but Zuko was so warm and the dirt was soft. "It's not Katara's fault that Mai doesn't open herself up to conversation. She's always so bored and it makes everyone feel as if they're nothing more than a bother to her."

"You said that to her?" Zuko looked down at Toph, only assuming that to be the case because that was the kind of person he was dealing with. Toph held nothing back, and if she says something about someone, she's likely already said so to their face already.

"Dang right I did. Needles robbed me of my favorite pillow." The more Katara's chest grew, the more Toph liked them because of how squishy, soft, and comfy they were. As such, Toph had claimed Katara's right breast as her own personal pillow. Getting in the way of her getting there was instant crankiness, because there was nothing that came close to the confines. Mai got in the way of that; Toph's perfect snuggly nap place. The girl also almost took one of her other favorite nap spots; the little niche between Zuko's side and arm. The knife and needle thrower had earned herself no favors from Toph, so she wasn't inclined to be kind to Mai when the argument started. Still, Toph would not be deterred now that Zuko was conscious and less likely act defensively. Her small hands were inching slowly towards one of Zuko's arms, readying themselves to spring around the appendage and claim it as her teddy bear regardless of whether or not Zuko liked it. Once she had his arm, there was nothing Zuko could do to the contrary since she was Melon Lord, mistress of all things her way.

Zuko pretended to not notice Toph working her way under his arm, deciding to focus on what was said instead. He knew Mai was developing jealousy issues, and it was true that whenever he wanted to talk to someone he would turn to one of his friends. Usually, that friend was Katara or Sokka. The ability to listen and offer great advice was one of the key characteristics that made the two siblings from the southern water tribes his best friends. They didn't judge. They didn't throw stones. They didn't look bored. They genuinely listened and cared about what was said. Of course Zuko would go to them first before Mai, especially when the young woman has always made it out to be an inconvenience to listen to his problems. Even if he just wanted to talk, which was rare, he was met with deaf ears and bored eyes. Part of Zuko believed that Mai was grateful for Zuko going elsewhere for someone to talk to. Apparently that wasn't the case. A great part of Zuko was made guilty for putting his girlfriend through that. He should have been more aware. Even after all the years of knowing her, Zuko still couldn't read her as well as he should. However, the rest of him felt embittered to Mai. Their problems were bleeding into all other relationships, and it wasn't fair to his friends. "Where's Katara going?"

"Off with Suki and Sokka to get more fire wood. She's really angry right now, so play dead or else risk her wrath." That or be as useful as humanly possible. An angry Katara was a dictator, which was why Toph was offering her nose to Katara's services and keeping an eye on the food. By Toph's calculations, dinner had another couple of minutes to go, so she couldn't bring herself to fully open her eyes as she snuggled closer to Zuko. Finally, her arms latched onto Zuko and her body rolled into her little nook. Finally, one of her comfy places has returned to her.

"So I should probably get to being useful?" Zuko knew that would mean moving about, but he would give Toph the last couple of minutes before dinner was ready. She was, after all, the baby sister of the group. Toph was the baby, even with Tom-Tom present within the group. She was allowed certain liberties, like claiming his arm as her sleeping buddy and being a cranky camper when she didn't get her way. Zuko was her enabler, though the others were just as guilty.

Toph groaned her displeasure, locking her arms tighter and using part of her upper body to pin it in place. "Later! You can rescue us from Katara when she gets back."

"And that will be….?" Zuko relented himself to Toph, giving her his body since she was so keen on using it as her bed. Toph did kind of earn it since she has been on her best behavior these past few days and then there was the trauma of before. Letting her have her way now, which was no different from any other day in truth, wouldn't do any harm.

"She'll probably be back in five minutes. Now shush, I want to spend that five minutes napping." Toph's eyes snapped shut to end the conversation. She was still a bit miffed at the little argument that had broken out between Mai and Katara, and as such she really wanted her nap to happen now without any interruptions. She didn't bend Mai six feet underground, so Toph deserved at least that much.

Zuko simply laughed before settling back down on the ground. Craning his neck, Zuko searched all the faces of his companions. Aang was playing with Tom-Tom and Momo, looking as if he were trying to hide his anger. Next to him was Ty Lee, who bounced the child on her lap while his chubby fingers chased after the fruit that Aang was airbending around him. Sokka and Suki were missing, as mentioned by Toph. They left with Katara to gather more fire wood or something of the like. The statement was code for getting Katara away from listening ears so she could rant….and possibly bend up a storm until she felt better. Mai was brooding in the shadows, hugging the border of their camp to keep herself separated from the group. Her eyes said it all: the group was beneath her and she viewed them all to be nothing more than peasants to be ordered around. Of all of them, only Ty Lee didn't seem to suffer the ire of Mai's sweeping gaze.

"No more moving," Toph suddenly grunted, giving Zuko's pectoral a smack of finality.

Zuko simply chuckled, ignoring the particularly frosty look sent in his direction.

* * *

A violent and furious roar ripped itself from Katara's throat as she slammed several massive ice spires into the ground. Their pointed ends pierced the ground to kick up dirt and stone in an explosion of Katara's anger. "I can't stand her!" More water was bent from a nearby lake to form a scythe's blade that cleaved the trunks of nearby trees from their roots before freezing them in place with chunks of ice to prevent their falling.

"You know you wouldn't have such an issue with her if you and Zuko weren't so close. She does have a reason to feel jealous." Suki voiced, separating from Sokka's side to risk stepping closer to the fuming Katara. The sight of the waterbender's emotions was both frightening and awe inspiring. This was the first time Suki had ever been privy to one of Katara's legendary temper tantrums. Sokka and Zuko were the only ones among the group, if not the entire world, to be witness to its full extent. The closest anyone else has ever gotten was when she had been denied a sifu for her training simply because she was a girl. Suki knew she shouldn't feel honored in such a time, especially while Katara was expressing her heartache, but the fact remained that Katara never allowed anyone to see her as anything less than perfect. Katara's power was palpable and filled with an unquenchable warrior's spirit that one rarely saw. Suki felt both empowered, and shocked to see it.

"It's not my fault she's a cutthroat, cold hearted statue!" Katara barked, stamping her foot to bring up geysers behind her.

"No, but you do nothing to dissuade Zuko from seeking you out. I know you're used to being with him all the time, but you have to see it from Mai's view point. You and Zuko are always together. You're always talking, pairing off together, and seeking each other out. We may know that it's only because you two are really close friends, but she doesn't." Suki couldn't count all the times that Katara had gone to Zuko, or Zuko to Katara. When they argued, it was like watching a couple, and they made up almost the same way. When they fought together in battle, it was like watching a dance and the two of them were partners. Neither would accept anyone else by their side. Even when life took to the mundane, Suki could recall with crystal clarity how they functioned as one unit, divvying out chores, while working together on others. Cooking. Dishes. Laundry. Dealing with the younger members of their team. All of these things were done together as if living the lives of a married couple. The two were also so comfortable with each other that whenever either of them were stressed or angry, they would gravitate to each other because instinctively they knew that the other would make them feel better. Zuko was angry, he would sulk off to Katara. Katara was frustrated, she'd stomp off to Zuko. There were times when they'd seek someone else out. Zuko would go to Sokka, and Katara to Toph or herself. But, those times were rare and only when they needed advice about each other.

It was so natural, that even from the beginning no one questioned it. It only felt wrong when the two were fighting, during which time everyone worked their hardest to get them back together. Like watching parents fight, everyone else in the team knew that the continued symmetry between Zuko and Katara was what would keep them going….and happy. Whoever said that a happy wife, meant a happy life clearly had a relationship like Zuko's and Katara's in mind. But it was somewhat off. If Katara was upset, everyone was miserable until Zuko made her feel better. When Zuko was upset, Katara was likely to get upset, and thus everyone else was miserable until the both felt better, usually by Katara cheering Zuko up. The statement also further proved that Zuko and Katara's closeness could be viewed as nothing else but as something romantic in nature. It may have felt natural for them, and everyone else involved. But everyone involved with the relationship knew that there was no real romance between them….yet. All was imagined. Unfortunately, to an outsider, there was no knowledge to prove otherwise.

"Zuko's friends with everybody else, but she's not attacking them. Zuko's sleeping with Toph right now for La's sake!" That was how Katara left them. Toph was probably already using Zuko as a bed right now simply because that's what she did when she started napping. Toph would cuddle up to the nearest body she knew and sleep with them. Everyone even had a body part claimed as Toph's favorite nap spots. For Katara, it was her breasts. For Zuko and Sokka, it was against their side with their arms around her. With Aang, it was his shoulder. With Suki, it was her lap. Yet, even though Toph was getting even more friendly with Zuko than Katara dared get without a legitimate reason, Toph was being spared the violent and slandering words.

"That is also true, but she's not a threat to Mai. You are. It's easy to see that Zuko and Mai are on the out and it's only a matter of time before they break up. From what I've heard from Ty Lee, they've been having trouble long before you two became friends. But, all she can see right now is where you're involved in the scenario because Zuko has a soft spot for you. Always has. There's a history between you two." Toph was all of twelve years old. Katara was sixteen and by most nations' standards of marrying age. Even more so, Katara was beautiful and exotic. She had features of both the northern and southern water tribes, and Katara was as fiery in temperament as a fire bender. Zuko wasn't used to that, and such it was obvious Katara would get his attention.

At Suki's words, Katara flinched. There was a history; one that was twisted and filled with shared secrets and pain. The past that the two of them shared was charged and sometimes volatile. Zuko and Katara had always been like that, from their meeting, to the crystal catacombs, to now. As the crystal catacombs came to mind, and the intimacy they shared, Katara couldn't help but acknowledge that Suki had a point. Then there was the hunt for the man who killed her mother, the resurrection of their shared feelings, their relationship as friends and partners, the shared accidental kiss; there was so much between them. She understood that much. But then, Katara also knew that she didn't want to. In understanding where Mai was coming from, she'd have to accept the fact that she hasn't been entirely innocent. She did actively seek out Zuko's companionship. Katara did enjoy being with the firebender and having him to herself. There was also the joy of working with him, and the high of knowing that only she could be Zuko's partner. As his partner, Katara was completely guilty because she enjoyed going on missions and working with him. She would be the first to admit that she was at fault without any real shame over the matter. Even with all that, consciously, Katara made no effort to pursue Zuko romantically. There was a voice in her head that told her many times that she should, but Katara was with Aang.

"He has history with all of us; and I do see why Mai would feel so threatened. But Zuko is my best friend. I can't and _won't_ give that up! Sokka, you understand. He's your best friend too." Sokka got along with Zuko the best out of everyone since they were of the same age, mindset, and the like. They were brothers in arms. Sokka knew how important such a friendship was, so he would understand how Katara felt. Katara was Zuko's partner in combat and friend outside of it. Those friendships weren't just thrown away.

"Just because I understand it, doesn't mean that I like it any more than you do. There's no rule that says you can't have a best friend of the opposite gender. But, with that being said, is friends really what you want for the two of you to be?" Sokka understood fully well what Katara was going through. To them and their culture, friendship was almost as sacred as family. Even more so, the bond between warriors was idolized and epitomized as unbreakable. To sever or betray such a relationship was practically a sin. But, what they were talking about wasn't the friendship between Zuko and Katara. What was being discussed was the mere fact that the friendship and bond Katara shared with Zuko was no longer strictly platonic, or at least seamed as such to those looking in from the outside.

"It's all we can be." Katara didn't wait to answer. The words were passed her lips without any real thought before or after their utterance. That was the plain truth. There was no flowering up or words meant to hide her. There was absolutely nothing else that could happen beyond the close friendship Zuko and Katara shared. Nothing. That was regardless of what she or anyone else wanted.

"I didn't as if you_ could_, Katara. I asked if you _would_." Sokka knew Katara wouldn't admit to having feelings for Zuko. There was a physical barrier between Katara and that truth. That barrier came in the form of two people: Aang and Mai. Still, whether or not there were feelings of others involved, or if there was some dramatic romance brewing under his nose, he didn't care. Sokka only cared that his sister was at her boiling point and needed to get through the wall in her path. Everyone else be damned, his sister needed to understand so she could feel better. The young woman was stubborn, very much like the sea, and unless another path presented itself she was going to continue beating against this block until it was nothing but rubble. That would come once Katara took the time to see through another's eyes. The only issue was that those eyes came attached to Mai, who Katara didn't particularly care for. If it were anyone else, Katara would have probably come up with a solution to this problem on her own already without having to feel as if she was being pushed to give up her friendship.

"Could or would is irrelevant," Katara threw back, finally calming enough to breath and listen. The burst of violence helped release some of the tension, thus allowing her to think a bit more clearly. "All that matters right now is that I'm being made to feel ashamed of my friendship with Zuko because Mai doesn't want to understand that whether or not her relationship is working is strictly on her own shoulders. If she's worried about her relationship, then she should stop attacking me and talk to Zuko, her boyfriend, about it. Attacking me isn't going to make things better for her." Fire raged within Katara's cerulean orbs, glaring with absolution and clarity. There was no doubt in her mind that everything was born from the simple fact that Mai and Zuko weren't talking about their problems. Mai wanted answers and to be soothed, then there was only one thing to do; talk to Zuko. Zuko actively avoided talking to Mai because the noblewoman gave him no choice. That was no fault but her own. Yes, Zuko should probably have tried harder or simply cut his losses, preferably the later. But where he was trying to accommodate the imagined request to be a deep conversation-free relationship, she was blaming everyone else because she didn't see where she was at fault. Her fault, not Katara's.

_She's back. Finally._ "Good to hear, feeling better?" Sokka asked; glad to see Katara's level headed conviction return. It was just plain weird to see her be so unsure of her own heart and unable to handle the hearts of others. Katara always knew what to do instinctively. She knew the dynamic within their group of friends. Even with the added personalities of Tom-Tom and Ty Lee, Katara never faltered. However, with Mai thrown into the mix, everything was turned over onto its head. Katara didn't know how to handle someone as closed off as Mai, and it was throwing off her game. When it came to Mai, all Katara knew to do was duck, evade, and attack. Not a good foundation for a relationship between the two.

"A little," Katara admitted after a deep sigh. "I'm still mad though." She would be until Mai either did something about her attitude or was gone from the group. Since neither was going to happen any time soon, Katara was going to force herself to deal. She just really didn't like Mai.

"Mad I can deal with. I'll just give Zuko a wave and that will be taken care of in a jiffy." Sokka beamed goofily, plan completely sound in his mind and ears. Things always worked out in the end that way, as it always has before.

"But I thought you guys didn't want me to continue letting the misunderstanding go on?" Katara didn't understand the logic in the conversation. First they tell her that her closeness with Zuko was what was causing problems, then Katara was being told that she should go to Zuko to feel better? Something wasn't clicking within the head of her brother. Going to Zuko to feel better would only continue the vicious cycle that had the angry girlfriend attacking like some rabid ankle-biter. If Katara could help it, she was going to try and put some distance between Zuko and herself. She wasn't going to give up the friendship. Those were fighting words. However, Katara figured that maybe things would be easier for all of them if she removed some of the physical closeness between them when possible.

"Who said that?" Suki asked, blinking rapidly and trying to recall when and where such a thing was said. Neither she nor Sokka were stupid enough to want Katara and Zuko to stop being them. That was like asking for a hurricane and a fire storm at the same time while one was in the middle of the sea with only a rickety wooden boat beneath them. Zuko and Katara would both become moody forces of nature without a possible prediction as to when and where they'd rain down their own version of terror. When facing the options, Suki much preferred a happy not-couple over a happy Mai. Mai may be dangerous and have a penchant for assassination techniques, but emotional and heartbroken Katara and Zuko were far more frightening.

"We just want you to know how things look for everybody else so you're aware. We don't want you to stop. We're not stupid." Sokka voiced Suki's thoughts exactly. Happy Katara, happy life. Zuko kept Katara happy and in check, keeping her fury to a minimum so everyone else can survive and have a happy traveling experience. "Besides, if you don't keep being Zuko's friend, our lives would be completely miserable. You remember what he was like _before_ you worked your magic on him? Sis, we need you to keep that emo kid on a leash." Happy Zuko, happy life. Katara kept Zuko in line and keeps him from becoming the scary jerk bender that chased them half around the world and made their lives a living hell. Then there was the fact that Zuko spent most of his early days fighting for Katara's approval and attentions. He hated it when Katara was upset, because Zuko took that as a failure since he worked so hard to be her friend again. So, when Katara was upset, he was upset until she felt better. Everybody knew this and when things worked out between them, things worked out for everyone else. Written down, the equation was rather simple. When Katara was happy, Zuko was happy. When Zuko and Katara were happy, everyone else was happy. When neither of them are happy life becomes a living hell starting with Aang and matriculating down. It all made perfect sense. Sokka was even thinking of making a chart so that all new members to their group would understand the number one rule to a happy life: Don't mess with the Zutara Dynamic! Their names were even blended for the sake of fewer words within the rule.

"Ha ha." Katara huffed sarcastically before allowing her brother's infectious grin to split her face. Sokka could be a little overdramatic, but he did have a point. Plus, Zuko knew how to make her feel better without making her feel worse about herself and her negative emotions during the process. She could humor Sokka without actually getting too close to Zuko physically. Still, Sokka did demand to be teased, so Katara's words rang to the contrary of her actual plans. "I kinda want to cuddle anyway, so I'll let the comment slide."

"Zuko is so lucky I know that means you want to sit next to him and _not_ that you actually want to cuddle. I'm not ready to see that yet." Sokka allowed for a shiver to work its way down his spine. Scary thoughts were scary, and the thought of Katara cuddling with Zuko was just wrong. It wasn't as strange as the actual sight of Katara with Aang, but that was beside the point. Sokka wasn't ready for his baby sister to be cuddling. He was barely able to handle her holding hands with someone outside of family. Katara should just not date at all. Period. Sokka wasn't ready for it.

"I dunno, I think there are a lot of people in the world who actually would prefer actual cuddling between you two. It would make all our lives much easier, that's for sure." And add twenty silver pieces into her purse. Suki still hadn't informed Sokka of the ongoing bet between the girls, knowing that even though Sokka enjoyed a good bet he wouldn't be too keen on the subject. The image of Katara and Zuko cuddling wasn't a bad one either. It was actually rather sweet, and fitted well with them.

"Hey, not appreciated" at all. Sokka felt his heart leap into his throat as the image became clearer and clearer within his own head.

"Love you." Suki laughed at her beloved's pale face and dreadful expression. The thought of his little sister growing up was such a fright for him that Suki couldn't help but tease him about it. Where Katara not his little sister, he probably would have told her to dump Aang, kick Mai out of the way, and start dating Zuko herself so that the dynamic would return to normal. No more shaky foundations or awkward moments. Just two embittered people getting over the fact that they've been dumped. Life goes on. Unfortunately, since Katara was who she was and Sokka's sister, the wretched song and dance would continue for a little bit longer. The thought even bothered her, so Suki planted a kiss on Sokka's cheek to feel better. The both of them melted into the contact and were happy little butterflies again, fluttering through life with the wings of their never ending love.

Katara simply laughed at the adorable couple, finding them to be the sweetest sight to behold. Why couldn't all relationships be as perfect as theirs? Even Toph, who still harbored a crush on Sokka, couldn't deny how cute the two were. The two just made life and the prospects of a happy future seem so possible. Katara felt jealousy take hold of her, prompting the desire to put a stop to it before she began wallowing in self-pity. Her relationship was nothing like that, and it was an ache in her heart. Katara ran over to the couple and braced her palms against Sokka's shoulders before giving a little hop. There was no warning beyond that for Sokka to lean forward enough to accommodate his sister's weight. Her legs swung forward for Sokka to catch, declaring that now was the time to indulge in her rights as a little sister and claim herself a piggy back ride. The kissing love fest was ended, but the loving atmosphere remained intact. Much better.

Suki reached up to give Katara's back a rub, offering her strength without making much more of a deal about the conversation had or the fact that she knew why Katara displayed such a childish desire. Suki understood that her relationship with Sokka had already gone through most of its bumps so there was nothing but smooth sailing for a long time. As such, it was a bit of a slap when one compared them to other relationships. It didn't stop Suki from indulging herself, but Suki understood why there was a complaint or act to get them to stop. Suki knew, and didn't mind all that much since family were allowed certain liberties. Belly aching about her perfect relationship with Sokka was one of them. Suki's hand then dropped to give Sokka's rear a resounding smack to get him moving faster. It was a good thing she was holding the fire wood under one of her arms now, because Suki was sure Sokka would have dropped it all as he was forced into a reluctant run. The three found themselves back within the warm glow of the camp fire not that long after, laughing merrily now that there was some relief to the tension. The camp still suffered, but at least one head of the group was happy again and thinking clearly.

Zuko was the first spotted since the three were making their way to the fire, already adding the final touches to the group meal so he could serve everyone. That was where Katara headed once she hopped off her brother's back and took the wood from Suki. Without a word spoken, Katara started to add what was necessary before setting the rest of it to the side.

"Sorry about falling asleep like that," Zuko found himself saying once she joined him by the fire. Bowls were balanced steadily along the length of his arms, allowing for Katara to ladle the stew into them before adding meat as necessary.

"It's alright," Katara assured him with a bright smile. "You needed the rest, and what better time to nap than when nothing else is happening." Katara took extra care to keep an arm's length between Zuko and herself, keeping her personal quest at the forefront of her mind since she was going to make the effort to be considerate to those around her. It made serving a bit awkward, but Katara managed to do so without looking unnatural. It still felt off, but Katara decided to ignore it in favor of measuring out the servings according to each in their group.

"True, but you and Mai got into a fight because of it. I'm sorry." Hesitantly, Zuko rose one of his arms to brush his knuckles against Katara's, thinking that she was somewhat upset with him for not being awake to stick up for her. Why else would there be so much space between them.

"It's not your fault. It was just a cat fight; they happen." Still smiling, Katara moved back an inch to put an end to Zuko's touch.

"Katara, you don't get into cat fights. You get into 'I'm going to bend you into oblivion if you don't back off' fights." It was like the beginning of their lives together all over again. Back then, Katara made it a point to keep distance between them at all times. His touch was like tar on her skin, and as such Katara was repelled by the very sight of him. But then, back then, Katara didn't smile like that. Zuko was confused, unsure what to do with the distance between them that Katara seemed adamant to maintain while her smile remained so friendly. Did he do something wrong that she didn't want him to know about? Was something said to make her want to back away from him? Like a wounded pup, Zuko tried again for some form of physical contact, pleading with his eyes for an answer as to why he couldn't have it.

Katara broke into mirthful laughter at the comment, finishing the last of her work filling the bowls without spilling a drop. "That is true. But there's a first time for everything." When her eyes met Zuko's, her expression fell, as did her mirth. Zuko looked as if he'd been kicked, and all Katara could do was frown up at him. She knew she was making the effort to put a limit to how much they touched, but she didn't expect Zuko to notice so quickly. Again, Katara offered Zuko a comforting smile, wanting Zuko to know that everything was alright. It was hard to assure him without touching. At least, that's how it felt to Katara, but the two of them would talk about it later.

Zuko wasn't soothed. Katara didn't do catfights and she didn't just avoid physical contact with him. When she fought other women, it was a legitimate fight that couldn't be sectioned off as something as almost derogatory as a 'cat fight.' The closest Katara would ever get to such a thing would be wrestling with Toph, which didn't particularly count because for one it was a legitimate form of combat even in its lack of refinement. When Katara fought with him, there were no smiles or silent offerings of her sweetness. No, there was just a wall. When he and Katara made up, things went from nothing to always being in contact in some way. He didn't like this in between and it showed clearly on his face. He was going to have that conversation that Katara silently promised. Zuko didn't like not knowing, and wasn't going to leave things alone until he had an explanation as to why Katara wasn't touching him anymore. Unfortunately, since Katara seemed keen on leaving the entire topic of 'cat fight' alone, Zuko was going to have a conversation with Mai as well. It didn't matter. Regardless of whether or not Mai liked talking, Zuko was going to find out if the 'cat fight' had anything to do with this distance between him and Katara.

Katara knew Zuko wasn't going to leave well enough alone, even though it was a little embarrassing when it was put into such light. Telling Zuko that they needed some space between them was going to be hard enough. Zuko was very possessive and protective of his friends, which was understandable. Zuko had so much taken away that the thought of losing someone else had him grasping at straws to stop it. He wasn't going to take the distance well. Still, if Zuko wanted to keep Mai and not be shamed for his relationship with Katara, choices needed to be made. As Zuko said, she didn't do catfights and the next time Mai decided to pick one, things were not going to end at just terse words. Better to nip the entire situation in the bud before things grew out of control. If not for hers and Zuko's sakes, then for everyone else involved. The thought was sobering, but Katara didn't dwell on it for much longer. Instead, she gave Zuko a tilt of the head and smile as she passed him on her way to where Tom-Tom sat giggling on Ty Lee's lap.

The only reason Zuko didn't give Katara a smile in return was because he was torn between serving the food in his arms, or pulling Mai aside so he could get the first conversation out of the way. He'd do about anything to get back to the normal rhythm of things, even if that meant sitting Mai down and forcing her to speak. Once he finished serving, Zuko made his way over to Katara's side with the hopes of trying again for their usual dinner time antics of bumping knees and leaning against each other. His plans were derailed however when Aang sat to Katara's only available side. The airbender wasted no time in taking advantage to the distance it seemed, much to Zuko's chagrin. That didn't stop Zuko from sitting in front of Katara and pulling Tom-Tom onto his arms so Ty Lee could eat in peace. That was the excuse, but really it was so he could try to pry a faster explanation from Katara. Ty Lee was more than capable of caring for the child once she got into the groove of things.

Toph dropped to the ground next to Zuko so she could watch as he and Katara managed to get the bouncing toddler still enough to eat without spilling. It was always amazing to watch since once Tom-Tom was awake, he could rival them al in energy. The little tyke couldn't sit still. "So, you feeling better sweetness?" Toph inquired between bites. She took extra care to make sure her food had been completely swallowed before speaking, not wanting to push her luck in the likelihood that Katara was still miffed. There was distance between Zuko and Katara, so she couldn't help but worry. Toph didn't want to become Katara's next target. The trees may have been put back together after Katara's little rampage, but Toph doubted that things would be that easy in her case. Toph was small. Though tough, she bruised easy when faced with the demon that slept beneath the surface of Katara's skin.

"A bit." What else could really be said? Mai was glaring daggers at her from Zuko's available side. The only reason the catfight stopped was because Toph decided that then was the time to announce her presence. Words were still left unsaid, and they threw themselves at Katara as if to impale her with their venomous accusations. Katara met those angry eyes head on, silently telling Mai to get over it. She was being considerate, as was plainly obvious, so Katara was not in the mood to suffer any more of Mai's passive aggressive behavior. Choosing the route best travelled, Katara tried for humor to ease up the tension that still flooded the camp. "I'll feel even better if you all would do the dishes, pack the food away, and give Tom-Tom a proper bath."

"That's all?" Zuko couldn't help himself from asking, much to the chagrin of those around him. He couldn't help but ask. Even with the earth beneath his folded legs lightly punching him, and the threat of a boomerang to the back of his head, he couldn't stop the question from forming. Zuko ignored it all to try and bait Katara into a round of witty banter with him. Surely Katara wanted more from them, be it in the form of more chores or requests for herself. She didn't even ask for him to heat up a bath for her. Though the work was menial, and an insult to his bending, Zuko deflated to know that Katara didn't ask him. Ever since they made up, she'd always ask him to heat up some water for her bath. But nothing came. Things were too weird. He really didn't like this in between that Katara had thrown him into.

A yawn stretched Katara's mouth wide to keep her from answering right away. She knew what Zuko was asking, since it had been one of her indulgences from when they started getting along again. The young woman would be lying to herself if she wasn't tempted to just take advantage of Zuko's giving nature. A hot bath would be absolutely glorious for her tense and aching muscles. Still, Katara had to be considerate of how that would look for the ever dark and brooding girlfriend dearest. "For now, though if you want I can come up with some more errands for you. All I really need is for everything to be ready for travel tomorrow and for Tom-Tom to go to sleep as fast as possible."

Choosing to play an airhead, Ty Lee voiced her concerns to the idea of a sleeping Tom-Tom. The group dynamic was shaking, and the auras of both Zuko and Katara were becoming tinged with a dingy grey. It was weird, and even she knew as much. Whatever it was that Mai and Katara were talking about earlier that night must have been really bad to have this affect. Ty Lee could only guess what it was about, and only hoped that it would resolve itself soon with either a happy ending for Mai, or a happy ending for Zuko. Unfortunately, both couldn't happen simultaneously, so Ty Lee simply hoped that it happened soon. Though she suspected, and had enough answers to keep her from pushing this particular button, Ty Lee knew what was right and what was best were two different things altogether in the situation they were presented with. Ty Lee felt bad for using a small child as a plot device for the little drama unfolding, but if it meant peace for all then a little harmless sacrifice wasn't going to kill anyone. At least she hoped. "Do you think Tom-Tom is well enough to sleep on his own? He still has the sniffles." Tom-Tom's temperature was still a bit worrisome to the acrobat that voiced her concerns, but it wasn't that bad. Ty Lee knew enough about medical maladies to know that nothing was life threatening, and Tom-Tom was only suffering a slight cold. Ty Lee still worried about the little tyke and wanted to ere on the side of safety. So, in essence, she wasn't completely using Tom-Tom. There was legitimate concern for the child.

Katara thought for a moment while examining the child's face. Mucus still dribbled down his nose, mouth, and chin. There was also a faint flush to his cheeks that still remained. His temperature, however, was nothing to worry about even for one so young. The fever was breaking and all that was left was for the child to simply expel everything from his body. Still, the waterbender placed her cool palms to both Tom-Tom's cheeks while weighing her options. With the 'cat fight' and the conversation looming over her head, Katara was hesitant to agree with Ty Lee's train of thought. Her greed for comfort and warmth was to be shelved along with the minimizing of physical contact. Also, she trusted Zuko to keep an eye on Tom-Tom without her continued guidance during the night. Then there was the con of not being completely sure. Should she risk Mai and Aang's joint anger and take one more night to sleep by Zuko's side and be sure, or trust her medical diagnosis and just leave things as they were. "Do you think you'll be fine without me, Zuko? Or do you want me to stay close by just in case?"

"I'd prefer it if you were close by," was Zuko's answer, though he answered solely for the purpose of his ulterior motive. No good would come from babying the child who was well enough to sleep on his own with little monitoring. Soon, Tom-Tom was going to expect the spoiling and later down the line that was going to prove problematic. But still, Zuko saw this as a chance to get an answer as to why was Katara keeping some distance between them as if he'd gone swimming in muck. "One more night couldn't hurt, and I'm sure his family would be content if we played it safe." Zuko knew he wasn't always confident when it came to children. They were so small and fragile that one wrong move could lead to absolute ruin. The young Fire Lord definitely didn't want to add to his list of dignitaries and nobles that hated him either. If something bad were to happen to Tom-Tom because Zuko was worried about what was and wasn't modest, he knew that his life would be cut to a very abrupt and bloody end. But in this, he was certain that guidance wasn't necessary. Then there was the fact that sleeping next to Katara was comfortable. Her body temperature was lower than most, cooling his own temperature down by proxy. He could use the comfort.

"I doubt they'd care," Mai contradicted. "It's just the sniffles. The chances of him dying from those are slim to none."

"All mothers care, Mai. At the slightest provocation they'll turn into a nightmare if it meant the ensured protection of their children." A shiver ran down Zuko's spine at the thought. Even for a woman as meek, subservient, and docile as Mai's mother, the image was a terrifying one to be sure. Truth be told, the more he thought of the subject and how he knew his own mother would react, the lie slowly became truth. Mothers were a frightening force to be reckoned with, and definitely not worth the risk. "I think we should play it safe until he's completely well."

Katara paid very close attention to Zuko as he spoke, knowing well enough when he was lying and when he wasn't. She could always read him perfectly, so when he started to use Tom-Tom as an excuse for them to stay close and talk, Katara wanted to smack him because it was making things harder for her. But then, when the conversation turned to mothers, her heart hurt. She saw the pain in Zuko's eyes, and knew that she herself shared it with him. Katara remembered how her own mom was when she or Sokka got sick. It was always the end of the world, and her mom would drop everything to take care of her sick baby until they were completely well again. Even something as simple as the sniffles garnered the same treatment. Lies became truths for all of them it seemed. Funny how a snot faced child who kept sneezing on everyone's faces and necks could smack them with what was and wasn't important. "Then it's decided. We should all turn in for the night anyway. We have to be up early." Katara would be with Zuko to keep an eye on Tom-Tom. There was an air of finality to Katara's statement, but it was more for Zuko to adhere to since he was an early riser. He was going to have to get everyone up and moving once he woke up, which wasn't going to be an easy task so close to the full moon. Katara hated mornings normally. With the full moon beckoning, that went double.

Zuko understood the silent request. He knew the why of it as well, so chose to snatch one of Katara's usual chores up so that the waterbender could sleep a few minutes longer. "I'll get started on breakfast at sunrise." Tom-Tom was then removed from Zuko's lap and handed off to Ty Lee. Zuko needed to get his pallet ready so that he and those sleeping next to him could remain comfortable. He was more worried about Mai, strange enough. Katara and himself were used to sleeping on the ground, and as such didn't require much to fall into a restful slumber. Mai was used to massive amounts of pillows, satin sheets, and enough fluff to cushion Appa comfortably. As the first night proved, Mai needed those to fall asleep or she'd be kicking and squirming all night. Twice during the first night, Zuko had woken up to a sound punch against his spine, and once to a knee in his tailbone. It was probably why Zuko broached the barrier that had been erected between Katara and himself and allowed for the….interesting results to occur. Though he dreaded it, Zuko asked even though he really wished otherwise, "Will you be joining us as well, Mai?"

"Of course," she answered simply. "He is _my _baby brother, and it would be wrong for you to sleep next to just _her_ even with the circumstances demanding it." The unspoken words underneath the comment was plain for even the most oblivious to read. Mai didn't want Zuko and Katara together in any sense of the word, and would only tolerate it because of Tom-Tom. Even then she wasn't keen on it because of the fact that she genuinely didn't feel the need to watch over him anymore. That was nanny's work. Yes, Katara was a lowly peasant and as such she was suited to the task, but Zuko was nobility. The treatment of a sick child was beneath him. He should have nothing to do with it in the slightest.

"Puppy-pile!" Toph cheered before throwing herself at the incomplete pile of linens that made up Zuko's sleeping pallet. This earned her a laugh from somewhere behind her, but Toph couldn't tell who it was with the pillow and sheets muffling her ears. It was either Sokka, or Aang. She wasn't quite sure since Aang's voice kept changing in random hiccups. "I call dibs on Katara's other side!"

Aang knew to respect the power of dibs when it came to Toph, but he didn't particularly like the idea. Still, as shown by his silence, he wasn't feeling particularly social in that moment. He had only caught bits and pieces of the argument between Mai and Katara, but it was enough to sour his mood even more. Again, Katara and Zuko were being accused of being together. It seemed to be a common theme throughout their travels and it was only getting worse the closer the two got. It was a lot to think about, and those thoughts had his lips sealed shut and his eyes downcast. Slowly, Aang started setting up his own spot near where he assumed Toph and Katara would be, judging from how Zuko was setting everyone else's blankets. He should probably get to work on the chores, but Aang was feeling particularly lazy in his gloom and settled down to sleep. Someone else would take care of it.

"You know," Toph's voice began close to where Aang's head lay. "If you don't speak up and talk to Sugar Queen, it's going to be no fault but your own if she gets swept away into someone else's arms." Through the entire night, Aang had been unusually quiet with his brooding. He wasn't off with Katara, watching her rampage. He wasn't being useful to the chores. Aang was just sulking and occasionally sending glares at Zuko, who was probably about ready to steal Katara for himself if things continued. Aang probably knew that, and was already carving Zuko's name into a tombstone. The thought prompted Toph to supply a disclaimer that was almost a lie, but not really. "Not to say it will definitely be Zuko," Toph added in a hurry when she realized exactly what had been said. "But she is going to start looking elsewhere if all you do is throw tantrums and sulk like some little kid. You really should talk to her more and get everything straightened out before it's too late."

Aang visibly flinched at the thought before rolling over to his other side to face Toph. Over her shoulder, Aang could see Katara fussing over Tom-Tom as she helped Zuko ready him for a bath. Zuko was grinning one of his happy half grins, probably thinking that she was being a little too motherly towards the child. That was Katara's way, but Zuko took it in stride so naturally. Further behind them, Mai and Ty Lee were chatting about something or other, or rather it was Ty Lee talking _at_ the stone faced Mai who glared at the same sight of Zuko and Katara acting like parents when they had no right to. Aang understood her pain, but as with most other times, he also knew in his head that there was nothing wrong. Katara was just overly mothering, and Zuko was very much the paternal figure of the group. It went beyond big brother, and big sister. Their very personalities just had them clicking into place. Aang knew this. He's always known what their personalities were like. When Zuko joined the group, instantly he took over the role of patriarch. It wasn't taken by force; it was just how it happened.

In his head it all made sense. It wasn't that great of a leap to make the assumption that the two were together for that reason alone. But even though he understood that in his head, and even though Aang had come to know it even before he and Katara started dating, in his heart it hurt. There was always that question of "what if" in his head. Everyone said that Zuko and Katara were together. The play broadcasted their assumed relationship to the world. Jun, according to Toph, blatantly called the two out on being a couple. Then there was Iroh, who not so subtly pushed the idea of them being together. It all hurt because part of him saw the chemistry and wondered why they weren't together? Why was Katara with him, and not Zuko?

He was obviously her type, and the two meshed so well together. They were as similar as they were opposites. So why? Why was Katara with him when she was so obviously perfectly matched by Zuko? His head and his heart were battling it out, and part of Aang truly wished that there was some validation to his relationship with Katara to prove that there really wasn't anything wrong outside of how things may look to those beyond their tight knit group. Where was the person to say that Katara looked good with him? Where was the person to say that they made a perfect couple? Why was everything Zuko and Katara, and not Katara with him?

"Toph….Do you know why Katara picked me?" Aang asked while he watched Katara lead Zuko away towards the lake so he could bath both himself and the child. There was some pleasure in the sight of more space between them than was usual, but that pleasure was only slight when compared to his misery. That distance wasn't going to last long. It never did.

"Why would I know that?" Toph scoffed at the idea. No one knew why Katara chose Aang. It was so completely out of the blue that people just accepted it as it was and left it alone as something only Katara would know. Everyone had their suspicions, but none were all that favorable for the young avatar. Even Toph, who was known for her open mindedness, couldn't come up with a reason as to why the two were together. In her mind, Katara was only dating Zuko because that's what the world wanted her to do since he saved the world and all. Also, Zuko was stolen away from her by Mai before anything could be done. Without options, it would only make sense to simply let Aang live out his fantasy of a happily ever after with the girl of his dreams. Toph knew that Katara loved Aang, and there was never a question about that. But the love she had for Aang was the same love she gave to everyone. Toph herself had the same love from Katara that Aang received. The entire relationship was forced, and as such Toph genuinely believed that the only reason Katara was dating him was because she turned herself into Aang's trophy. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair, but in a world where the hero is supposed to get the girl, it made sense. Toph didn't like it though, and kept her thoughts and opinions to herself on the matter.

"She talks to you." Of the girls, Toph was the one that had Katara's attention more often than not. Not that Katara and Suki didn't spend time together or were close friends. But the conversations had between Toph and Katara were different as compared to the ones had between Suki and Katara. That's how it worked out in Aang's head.

"She talks to Zuko more. Ask him." The answer was rather simple in Toph's mind.

"Why would I ask _him_?" An unfamiliar darkness laced with Aang's voice as the thought made his blood run cold. Zuko was the last person he wanted to ask.

"Because he's your friend and you can ask him anything, duh!" It was true that Zuko was not Aang's favorite person right now, and with good reason. But Zuko was still, and would always be Aang's sifu and friend. Angry or not, Zuko would be there to answer any and all of Aang's questions. That much was no secret, since Zuko prided himself in his big brother/father-like role. Aang really needed to suck it up and simply share what he's feeling so that he would know the truth and move past it. _I hope I never get wind up in this drama when I start dating. _Toph gave her eyes a roll before flopping onto her back to end the conversation. Katara would be back any minute, so Toph wanted only to focus on getting to her favorite pillow.

Aang said nothing more, deciding to leave his darker thoughts unexpressed in favor of plotting a means to catch Sokka alone to ask him for answers.

* * *

Zuko awoke with a jolt, the sound of his mother's voice filling his ears with crystal clarity. His own words were caught in his throat, making him choke on his own voice. Zuko drew in deep lungful's of air as he tried to gain control of the rapid beating of his heart. Against his chest, there was a constant weight to keep him grounded, but his mind fought to recall the why. Why was there something on his chest? There shouldn't be…

Amber eyes looked down to see a head of brown curls and a tiny topknot. Katara had tucked herself under his arm and was using his chest as a pillow. Her arm was slung over his torso, holding Tom-Tom in place while the back of her hand acted as the child's pillow. Behind her, Toph snuggled into Katara's back, monopolizing the rest of his arm and further explaining why Zuko was pinned down. Under his head, the firm but fleshy pillow moved at the sudden lack of weight against it. Though he was hesitant to look, Zuko craned his neck to see Ty Lee's rear. She'd offered her body as a pillow to everyone it seemed in exchange for warmth. The other butt cheek was home to Sokka's slumbering head, and the thigh a bit further down propped up Suki. Zuko rolled over to get a better look, careful to not disturb Katara and Tom-Tom too much.

Aang was curled up next to Toph, holding Momo to his chest like a stuffed toy. He was currently hogging the covers, but no one was fighting for them since Zuko was supplying enough body heat to keep the all warm in their little puppy pile. Behind him, Zuko counted nine pillows. This let him know that Mai had guilted everyone into giving them up for the sake of the young noblewoman's slumber. Zuko surmised that this was the second reason why Ty Lee was the human pillow for everyone, and why he hadn't been kicked at all during the night.

"What's wrong?" Katara mumbled as she struggled to wake her body up. She could feel the rapid beating of Zuko's heart, and feared the worst. "Are you alright?" Hesitantly, Katara made a move to withdraw herself from Zuko's body, only to find herself caged in with Toph behind her. Katara's eyes peeled open to do a quick scan, finding no other conscious comrades but the one underneath her. Without the threat of another morning of shouting and vicious words, Katara relaxed a fraction before looking up to Zuko with nothing but concern in her eyes.

"I…I'm alright. It was nothing. Just a dream." Zuko looked down on Katara to offer her groggy eyes an assuring smile. It felt good to have his personal space invaded by Katara again.

"You're heart's racing a mile a minute," Katara pressed. Slowly, she rose to sit up on her hip. Long legs bent to swoop to the side, supporting her weight enough so that Katara had free use of her arms. One hand remained propped against the ground, while the other held Tom-Tom in place with a firm press of her palm. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Though his words were calm, Zuko's actions were quick to stop her from moving farther back from him. His free hand clamped around the wrist holding Tom-Tom in place to keep Katara where she was, not ready to resume the unexplained distance between them.

Katara looked to see Zuko holding her wrist with a sense of hesitancy. Both their significant others were slumbering nearby and would get the wrong idea if they woke up to see them. Still, there was a pleading gleam to Zuko's gaze, making it impossible for Katara to pull away any farther. "Do you want to talk about it?"

A heavy sigh escaped Zuko's lips before he sat himself up as well. He was awake now, so there would be no getting back to sleep so close to sunrise. Looking up, Zuko realized how close he'd gotten to Katara. Her deep cerulean eyes were framed by long lashes that fluttered against his. Her pupils were dilated to compensate for the dim light, but it only made her gaze all the more penetrating. The tips of their noses touched, and their breath's mingled. As an impulse, Zuko licked his lips to moisten them while his eyes darted downwards to drink in the vision of Katara mimicking the action. He had to back away before things became dangerous. He let go of Katara's arm to hold Tom-Tom to his chest instead before pulling his arm from underneath Toph. Gently, he set Toph's head on Ty Lee's thigh so that she wouldn't go without a pillow to rest on. Zuko then leaned back to brace that arm behind him without disturbing Ty Lee. "I dreamt about mom again."

Katara gasped as pain and concern flooded her expressive face. Words danced on the tip of her tongue, but nothing came free. Nothing sounded right, so Katara said nothing while silently urging Zuko to continue.

Zuko smiled at Katara's expression before slipping into a deep baritone. It was so easy to share this with Katara, and there was no shame or fear that he would in some way be ridiculed by something as trivial as a dream. "I've been dreaming about her a lot lately. I really don't know what to think of it. Part of me is actually happy to hear her voice, even if it's in a dream, but the other part…."

"You don't want to go through the heartache again." The hand on Tom-Tom's back rose up to caress Zuko's scarred cheek. Not even a day and she was already touching Zuko again, but it felt wrong not to offer that form of comfort. The combination of rough and smooth which was once so jarring brought a warm tingle to her fingertips. Touching Zuko's scar offered more comfort than a simple hug could offer, but it was more than that. Touching the scar was like touching a part of Zuko that was kept hidden away by the barriers erected to protect him from further heartache. Katara knew that Zuko would forever be sensitive about it, but at the same time he drew comfort and solace from the physical acceptance of it being there. "We'll find her, so don't worry so much. It's just your subconscious telling you to not give up hope."

Leaning into her touch, Zuko allowed himself to be enveloped by Katara's warmth. Many of the nerves were dead, so all he could feel were bits and pieces, but the impression of her hand on his ruined face was enough. It was more than enough. The touch was everything he needed, wanted, and so much more. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Katara cocked her head to the side curiously, not overly sure what it was that Zuko was referring to. Still, her hand remained on Zuko's cheek. The thought of pulling away was far from her mind, even with her promise to herself singing in her ears.

"Make everything seem so simple and hold so much conviction." The clarification came with a brief nuzzle against Katara's hand. If only she would always touch him like this.

When realization dawned, Katara gave Zuko a wink before tapping his nose with her thumb. "Call it my stubborn nature and the fact that I'm always right."

A faint chuckle escaped Zuko's lips, complimenting a slight smile that was as hopeful as it was affectionate. Katara really did pride herself in being a know-it-all. Her force of will even swayed the fates to make her desires come to truth. "Whatever it is, thank you." Zuko refused to feed into Katara's ego by accepting the fact that very rarely was she ever wrong. Zuko almost wanted to leave the conversation at that.

"You're welcome." Katara's smile slowly faded when Zuko's expression suddenly became serious. She could see the thoughts forming within his eyes, and could feel her body tense in preparation for the next question to come.

"Are you still upset with me?" Zuko knew she was hoping he wouldn't ask, and so he chose his wording to leave out what had happened between her and Mai.

"What do you mean?" Playing innocent very rarely worked with Zuko. He could read her like book, which made lying to him hard. She knew the conversation had to be had, but she wished to avoid it for a bit longer. It was too soon.

"You've been putting a lot of space between us, and I can't figure out why." Or rather, Zuko had nothing concrete to explain why. The sudden change was no different from sudden darkness after being in the bright midday sun. He saw the difference the moment it happened, and suffered for it. Zuko had suffered enough, and he wanted to put an end to it. If it was deserved, he needed to fix it. If it was a misunderstanding, then it needed to be cleared. Their group had enough of those, they didn't need anymore.

Katara stayed silent, pulling her palm from Zuko's face before placing it over her own heart in an act of nervousness. Katara's eyes darted to the small patch of fabric between them that could be seen, feeling Zuko's eyes on her with that piercing gaze she'd grown to love. No one but Zuko would look at her like he did. He looked at her like his equal, and as someone he respected. There was no adolescent longing, or silent askance for permission to ask her a question. There was only the simple need to look into the eyes of someone they knew and trusted. Curiosity spiked the amber with flecks of orange and gold, making Zuko catlike and almost regal in his question. He didn't ask for permission to ask the question, as if she were his superior. He asked the question because as her equal, he was allowed to. Even so, the topic was an embarrassing one. It brought to light something that the two of them had been avoiding for some time now while they pretended everything was normal between them.

"What is it?" Zuko pressed. Sitting up fully, Zuko used his bracing hand to crook a finger under Katara's chin and lift her downward facing eyes to meet his. This was broaching what was considered normal touch between them. Katara could touch his face without crossing the line, but he couldn't touch hers without crossing it. Neither understood why that was the case, but Zuko couldn't bring himself to care in that moment. He risked a new level of intimacy for the sake of peering into the depths of Katara's mind. Her skin was soft against his calloused hands, both cool and warm to the touch as if his hand were skimming over the surface of a cool pond during the summer time. Before that moment, Zuko had always known Katara to be soft and elegant, but never had he allowed himself to realize how much like water she really was. What dam was there blocking her way to him? What could possibly be so powerful that it would redirect Katara's course to exclude him from her affectionate touch?

Though she was loath to do it, Katara looked away from Zuko once more to cast her eyes onto Mai's slumbering form. "We need to give ourselves some space," she began with barely a whisper. Through the fingers still holding her chin and caressing her jaw, Katara could feel Zuko's racing pulse. His blood rushed through his body under rough skin that knew nothing but violence. Zuko's hands were that of a warrior, and it wrong to see them in such a soft light. She had no right to know of their capabilities for gentleness. Even as his friend, his best friend, that was not for her to know. Lines have been crossed that never should have been, and with every moment playing out in her mind Katara could no longer deny that what was once platonic would never be again.

The words hurt more than any slap in the face ever could, as did their meaning. "Why?" Zuko tried to draw her eyes towards him again, but failed in the face of Katara's stubbornness. Eventually, Zuko surrendered and allowed his hand to fall to his side.

"The kiss." The answer was simple, and yet every issue was answered with that.

Though it was an accident, Zuko understood fully what Katara meant. They crossed the line. "So what now? Will it stop at just putting more distance between us physically or…."

"Of course!" Katara suddenly exclaimed, looking up suddenly to see relief in Zuko's eyes. He didn't want to lose her either. "It's just, after that happened, we haven't been acting like just friends anymore. Even though we haven't changed anything we've done, we've changed since then and…"

"People are beginning to notice?" Zuko finished, sighing to himself as it all came together in a dark image of accidental betrayals and misguided illusions. In truth, he should have figured as much. With how both Aang and Mai have been behaving, it was no wonder the two of them hadn't decided to put a little space between them from the beginning. Zuko wasn't keen on the idea regardless, but it was a simple solution to come to. Still, as their words rang in his ears, Zuko couldn't help a dark chuckle from escaping his lips. "Listen to us. Even we're starting to sound like there's an affair going on."

The similarities did not go unnoticed to Katara, who laughed in a similar fashion to Zuko. "Yeah, you're right. I guess since we've had to listen to it so much we're starting to believe it."

"Does this decision have anything to do with the, quote, end quote, cat fight?" The question hung ominously in the air, sucking the faux mirth from both.

Katara wrapped both arms around herself to fight the sudden chill that came with the flare of Zuko's internal flame. Though he did his best to keep himself contained, Katara could see through the mask erected to keep himself hidden. Zuko was angry. Regardless of whether or not he was angry with her, or the situation didn't matter. All that did was that Zuko was expressing the one emotion that Katara was hesitant to express. Temper tantrum non withstanding, Katara wasn't allowed to act out her anger now that she was fully cognizant of what was going on in the eyes of others. It was no longer teasing from outsiders. People inside their group of friends were now thinking that the two of them were cheating on their respective others. In a way, the two of them were, however unintentional. The argument with Mai proved that. It wasn't just Aang with his insecurities. It was everyone. Even Suki and Sokka suspected from what she could interpreted from the conversation earlier. Toph and Ty Lee weren't that far behind in their suspicions if the thought hasn't glued itself into their brains already. Shoulders slumped, but Katara couldn't bring herself to openly admit to the reason, even though Zuko was right. Katara was just too embarrassed by both the event and her own stupidity.

When no answer was forthcoming, Zuko released the breath that he'd been holding. The silence was answer enough. "You know you have nothing to do with what goes on between Mai and I, right? If we break up, it's because of her and I. No one else." Zuko's words were sure, even as he knew that Katara's heart was not. His eyes had begun to wander, that was no secret to himself. Even with their reunion, Zuko and Mai have only managed to make it work for a short period of time before they fell back into their old routines. No talking, just political appearances, the occasional quiet dinner, and sex; none of their past issues were resolved. As Zuko had told Katara before, things were as they once were and he was nothing more than a means to an end. He'd never really known Mai to show any real care unless she was faced with being cut from his life. With the first time, it was Boiling Rock. That was the most emotion he'd seen from her. Now, it seemed her emotions were breaking free only when Zuko was looking for a way out. That was no way for a relationship to carry on. It was wrong of him to want and fantasize about Katara, his best friend and comrade. But as with the dreams that plagued him, they were no fault of his own outside of his subconscious. Never before had his secret desires gotten in the way of his friendship with Katara, let alone anyone else. Now that was no longer the case.

Everything that was once such a comfortable fit was being made to feel twisted and wrong. There wasn't even anyone there to blame once he dug down deep. Though he liked to say that everything was Mai's fault, or Aang's, he couldn't accept that with an honest heart. Instead of getting angry and letting the misunderstanding poison his relationships, Zuko should be talking to Mai. He should be clearing things up so that the dust could settle and the cloud of doubt could be dispersed. Truth always prevails in the end. With that thought in mind, another came rearing its ugly head. Zuko didn't want to fix things with Mai. Beyond the care that came with their history, Zuko was done with his relationship. He was just waiting for the right time to break it all off. He was going to break it all off as soon as they all returned home from the peace summit. Cut things clean within the privacy of his own home. There would be no gossip to spread, or insane dramas to attribute to his and Mai's breaking up. It would just be them, at home, making a clean break. Things were no longer that easy.

It was the kiss. It helped Zuko realize that he really was over Mai, and it wasn't just a dry spell. It showed him that if he wanted to remain the honorable man he strove to be, then they needed to part ways fast and evaluate exactly what it was that they wanted. Zuko knew that he didn't want a future with Mai. But what the kiss also did was throw his sealed off emotions into the mix. He had let go of his emotions and wants for Katara ages ago. Zuko accepted that he'd never have her as more than just a close friend, and yet there he was. He was wanting her again, and deep down he knew that his desires were just as venomous to his relationship with Katara as Mai's and Aang's jealousy. Maybe this distance would be good for them both.

"I'm not so sure," was Katara's low admittance. She wasn't sure, and she couldn't be with so many stating the contrary.

"In this I am. We were over long before the misunderstandings could start. I'll honor this distance, but only if you understand that it has nothing to do with what's going on between Mai and I. We were on the out before I came back to you the first time, and things haven't gotten any better since." Again, and for what would probably be the last time, Zuko caressed Katara's face so that she would look at him. He wanted for Katara to see that he was speaking the truth of all truths. She was his friend, not his secret lover. Regardless of what Mai said, Katara was not to blame for any problems both real and imagined. He may want more, but wants didn't make reality. The only affair that was going on, or would ever go on, was locked away in his dreams.

She couldn't explain it, but Katara did believe Zuko and felt better for it. Even if she didn't like Mai, Katara didn't want to be the thing that broke her and Zuko up. She wanted Zuko to be happy, even if that happiness came from someone like Mai. "Alright. I believe you. Still friends?" Hesitantly, Katara held up a dainty fist as if she were a beckoning cat often found in a shop's window.

"Always." Zuko bumped Katara's fist with his own. As both fists parted, their pinkies extended to catch one another in little hooks. It was a childish gesture. Both knew this, but it was one the two indulged in even though they felt as if they'd grown out of secret handshakes. _Earth. Water. Fire. Air. I declare a pinky swear._ The little rhyme whispered in Zuko's head, making him smile softly at the warm memories attached. Every child knew the little rhyme and promise, and it touched him to know that something so pure was the thing assuring their friendship.

"Bet you can't go one day without breaching my personal bubble. Barely a minute and you were about to cry." Katara teased to further affirm that nothing was going to change between them.

Zuko made a sound of disdain and grinned at the challenge. "Please," Zuko snorted at the thought, no matter how true. "Now that I know what's going on, I could last a whole month without any unnecessary physical contact."

"How about a week? Twenty silver pieces says you'll be pouting for some border crossing platonic affection within a week's time." A month would be far too long and not even her awe inspiring pride would allow for Katara to last that long without some form of 'cuddles.' They've become a normal part of her life. When Zuko was near, she had to get her fill. When he wasn't, she was mopey and slightly more irritable. Nothing overly noticeable to the viewing eyes of others, but Katara noticed it in herself, which was more than enough.

"Thirty." Though Zuko doubted Katara had that kind of money on hand to blow. He knew this, but pushed it anyway to be an ass and to see if he could weasel some other form of payment in the event that she lost.

"Twenty and a week's worth of chores." As if she'd fall for that trap. Katara never bet more than she had to spend frivolously. Zuko knew that too, so there could only be one reason why Zuko was pushing that card. It was better to control the friendly con then wind up playing maid in a ridiculous outfit in the unlikelihood that she lost.

"Deal." Their still joined pinkies gave another shake before their hands clasped in a handshake.

"Speaking of chores, I seem to recall you offering to make breakfast this morning." She pulled him close as she said this, batting her lashes and teasing Zuko in a way she knew would get under his skin. She was intentionally acting the part of annoying minx, but solely for the sake of fun and games.

Zuko simply shot her a snotty look before tensing his arm long enough for Katara to use it as a handhold. Her body used his arm as a lever to lower herself back onto the sheets that made up her bedding. As she went down, Zuko rolled his body to be crouching over her. Not allowing himself to acknowledge just how sensual the sight of her laying beneath him looked, Zuko placed little Tom-Tom on her chest and got up to work. What was one week when he'd gone months without the touch of a woman? He could handle not touching or getting too close to Katara just fine with nothing else changing. Still, Zuko knew the bet was not going to be easily won.

* * *

Not even noon, and Zuko was really wishing he'd just taken a hit to his pride and admitted to needing Katara close by. With Tom-Tom secured to her back, Katara walked several paces ahead with the other girls, chatting about some form of defense maneuver the Kyoshi warriors utilized in closed quarters. It sounded interesting to be sure, but Zuko dared not get too close or else risk falling into dangerous habits. Even when his mind screamed at him to give Katara a hand navigating over a high tangle of roots, Zuko stayed behind with Sokka and Aang to keep an eye on the map. There was minor conversation between Sokka and himself, but Zuko was partially distracted. Though his eyes kept dancing from the map to Katara, the surrounding area had him on edge.

They were coming to a bamboo forest that had long since seen extended travel by manmade routes. Silence enveloped the group as the thicket of bamboo swallowed them. The pathway had long since become overgrown, leaving only patches to break through the grass as testament to the path once traveled. The air was ominously heavy as the silence. There wasn't any sign of life to be seen or heard for miles. Not a bird in flight or the chittering of woodland creatures. There wasn't even a single insect buzzing about. It was unnerving.

It also meant danger was afoot.

The girls ahead must have realized this a fraction before Zuko did due to their closer proximity to whatever it was setting off their internal alarms. Katara was the first to act, slowly walking backwards until she was lost within the small group. Tom-Tom became hidden amongst their bodies, which had tensed. The distance between the groups grew smaller until it was one mass of limbs with Katara hidden away in the middle with her charge. Zuko took a step forward to meet up with Suki, who had kept point to scan the surrounding area. Before one could even breath a word, both Zuko and Suki rose their arms simultaneously to still the group from moving any further. Another hand signal issued a command for all to stay close together and on guard. Weapons were then drawn in preparation. For what, was still unclear, but their warrior's instinct had both on edge. Behind them, warriors registered Sokka breaking from the group to slip into the foliage. Once passed the bushes, the hunter was a ghost.

Closer to the edge of what remained of the beaten path, Toph suddenly stamped one of her feet. She counted seven before alternating her feet rapidly, then stamped three with the opposite appendage. Seven total in the immediate area, three closing in.

Without another word, Suki took to a cluster of bamboo and shimmied her way up high onto the stocks with Ty Lee mounting behind her. The sound of a hawk's cry pierced through the silence, declaring danger. Sokka had found them and was letting the Gaang know. In response, Suki matched the chirping of another bird and relayed the message of the exact number according to Toph.

Zuko mimicked the sudden sound of a squirrel-hawk, but was answered by the hoots of a fire dove: _Can combat be avoided? Proceed with caution._

Ty Lee started working the way across the thicket while Suki slid down to return to the group. She would lead the way towards the village, which was close enough for her to see from so high above. But as stated by the cautionary warning, there was a chance that their paths were going to intersect with the danger that had been found. There was no other path available, but Ty Lee was swift enough to stop on a dime the moment danger became difficult to avoid and change direction.

No words were spoken yet, just the collective sigh of relief before the group quickly moved to follow the rapid movements of the pink acrobat swinging from bamboo shoot to bamboo shoot. When she stopped, so did they. There was a pregnant pause as the sound of gruff voices reached their ears. They stopped in time to avoid being seen. Now, all that was left was to wait and see what they were dealing with and how it could be avoided.

Bandits.

The separate three that Toph had located, they were laughing loudly over some successful attack and sharing a bottle of rum between them. Their camp site was a bit of a ways away from what could be picked from the conversation. What's more, there were more than seven. A large chunk of their group had gone off on another raid while the aforementioned seven were left behind to man the fort. Louder and clearer their voices became as they drew closer, allowing for darker, lewder, and bloodier conversation to be heard.

Suki took the child Tom-Tom from Katara, and signaled for everyone to crouch. The waterbender took her turn to break away then, staying low to the ground and moving as close to the bandits as she dared before bending the water of a far off bush to make it rustle. The sound of a moose-lion cub was added from a distance to add to the charade. Sokka was close enough to throw his voice in aid.

The bandits bought it, and took off in the opposite direction, thinking they've found the night's dinner.

Ty Lee then started to move again, guiding the group through the safest and fastest route to Senlin Village. It was another hour's walk, but for now that was too far away with the bandits so close. Still, there was comfort in the knowledge that the bandits were running far away from them all. A brisk pace was coaxed from the group by Ty Lee picking up speed. Better safe than sorry.

Zuko growled, his eyes lingering on the bandits that dared laugh at the many lives they've destroyed. Katara's insistent hand on his shoulder did little to calm his ire, but it helped enough to get him moving again. He knew not to attack them, even though the glare in her eyes showed him that she shared his rage and would back him without a moment's hesitation. However, with Tom-Tom among them, the risk was too great to take. That was reason enough to turn their backs on the criminals; for now. Zuko waited long enough for Katara to scuttle in front of him before he started after her, letting the waterbender lead the way closer to the rest of the group. Occasionally he would stop, but a tap on his arm or shoulder would get him moving again in the right direction. The thought of turning her back while criminals roamed free also had Katara on edge as well. Zuko knew it was hard on her, but she didn't turn back to face them or give chase. That should have been enough for Zuko to take a page from her book. But still, a sick feeling coiled in his gut that kept him from wanting to lose track of the bandits completely. It got to a point where Katara had to grab his wrist and tug him along.

She was in no way endangering their bet, since the contact was necessary in that moment. But if Zuko turned around, then so would she. There was only one reason keeping her from racing Zuko after the bandits, and he was currently held tight to Suki's breast. They needed to catch up or be left, which would lead to even more trouble they couldn't risk. But even then there was a nagging guilt tugging at Katara's heartstrings. She couldn't turn her back on the bandits completely. The hold on Zuko's wrist became a hand in her own. Their bet wasn't endangered. Both Zuko and Katara needed to wrench each other away or risk causing problems for more than just the group. The touch only lasted so long, but it got the two of them to move away from the bandits even though their location and hideaway were both memorized for later use.

Several minutes, and half the remaining trip later, Sokka broke through the bushes with his arms reaching high over his head with his powerful arms in a full bodied stretch. "Is it wrong that I wanted some action?" Sokka asked in an out of character desire for combat. The code of silence was broken with his words, bringing all to rise in silent agreement. No one felt right letting the bandits walk by them.

"No, but we couldn't risk Tom-Tom getting hurt." Suki ended her statement in a coo, giving the snoozing Tom-Tom a nuzzle and kiss. "Next time, if we don't have Tim-Tom, we can beat up the next group of bandits we see." Suki only hoped that the bandits found were the same ones. She already knew that the guilt was going to keep her up at night, so it was only be right.

"You're the best!" Sokka cheered while pulling a piece of charcoal from one of his pockets and crossing off the general vicinity of where the bandits were camped out. They may not be able to do anything with a child in their midst, but Sokka could make a report to the head of Senlin village and hopefully the proper authorities would be called. Not much else could be done in that moment. Even three men could be dangerous in the likelihood that they were benders. Everyone there may be willing to risk their lives, but the life of Tom-Tom was their priority. He had no choice in the matter, so it would be wrong to risk him when it could be avoided. It still left a foul taste in Sokka's mouth.

"Of course I am," Suki purred with a playful fluff of her hair.

Before the 'I love you' fest could begin, Toph gave a loud groan of complaint to interrupt them. She accepted them as a couple. Toph even thought they were cute. That didn't mean she was fine with them being all lovey dovey with one another. It was so sweet that it was gross! "Let's get going! No time for kisses."

"Does our little Tophy-poo want kisses too?" Sokka's voice slipped into a higher decibel while scrunching his face up teasingly. His arm slipped around Toph's shoulders easily, trapping her in place while Suki took hold of her other side.

Toph knew what was coming next and braced herself for it even as the others in the group only watched and smiled. Pleading sightless eyes searched for the nearest face, but Toph could feel that they were going to leave her all on her own for a dose of teasing that she absolutely hated, yet secretly enjoyed. It wasn't that great when she was the butt of the joke though. Immediate distraction was needed, but not at her own expense. It was fine when it was someone else being teased, just not her.

"Is our little Tophy-woffy jealous?" Two arms were added to Sokka's one as Suki leaned in real close.

Toph could feel her warm breath fanning her hair. That was really her only warning before two snorting noses nuzzled into her cheeks. Toph squealed and giggled while trying to push the two away in vain. Her small arms were no match for their powerful bodies, so Toph could do little more than struggle as the nuzzles and bursts of breath became kisses and raspberries. "Ew! Ewewewewewew~" Toph cried out indignantly. "You're getting drool all over me!"

"But I thought Tophy-woffy loved being dirty." Suki gasped in an over dramatic fashion, pretending that Toph was the one behaving out of character.

"With dirt! Not teenage slobber." Toph continued to wiggle around and squirm, enjoying the affection but hating it just the same. Her parents used to do it all the time when she was little and they were not so serious. It was more than a little weird, but it was worse when Katara and Zuko did it because they lifted her off the ground. That struck closer to home and made Toph feel all warm and happy. Toph didn't do warm and happy. She was rough and happy. Big emphasis on the rough. Rough didn't do kisses and cuddles.

"I'll have you know, my dear Tophy-poo," Sokka began in blatant mockery of an intellect. "My slobber isn't just any old teenage slobber. The slobber that I produce is the slobber of a hunter!"

"And mine is of a warrior. We're special. With special slobber."

Toph noted with some mirth that Suki was getting good with team-up humor. It was so wrong. "You guys are special alright." One arm broke free of the hug jamboree, catching Aang by the neck and using him as the pulley she needed to break free. He grunted and choked under the force, but Toph ignored him in favor of continued usage of the avatar. He made a perfect shield.

"Hey!" the couple exclaimed while letting Toph escape.

The humor helped get the group moving in the right direction, but Zuko snuck a peak at the map that he'd already memorized and filed away the information added to it. Letting the bandits go wasn't going to be easy. Zuko was even tempted to turn back now that Tom-Tom was going to be safe. The gates to the village were within seeing distance, which was more than enough. A hand on his shoulder brought Zuko back to reality, drawing his attention onto Katara.

'Tonight," Katara's sweet lips promised, becoming a tempting siren with only the one word. Even if it was only for recon for the exact location, she knew neither Zuko nor herself would rest until the bandits were found and in some way dealt with. It would take a while for guards from the nearest city to arrive, but if the two of them could find the bandits and in some way subdue them, no more guilt and no more threat to the innocent villages surrounding.

'Tonight.' That was a promise. Instantly, Zuko's shoulders relaxed and he could bask in the small attempts at distracting humor to keep the team from feeling low. Playing babysitter had never been so hard than in that moment, but as always, Katara made him feel better. It would also be good for both of them to be lost in the night and surrendering themselves to their need for combat, justice, and a good bit of exercise.

As the gates drew nearer, the group grew calmer as plans for later bandits bounced around amongst them. Unbeknownst to all of them, Zuko and Katara had already finalized plans for the bandits already found. The group wouldn't approve for more reasons than one, but still the two plotted a means of ensuring that the threat was removed. Zuko was already working up a draft in his head for his messenger hawk for the nearest city's guards. Senlin village most likely didn't have enough security on hand for something like a bandit encampment, even if there were only even present at that time. As it was, it still wasn't known when the rest of the bandits would arrive. Once the message was sent, Zuko and Katara would wait for the dead of night when everyone was asleep to make their move. The moon was almost full, so they would have more than enough on hand to guide their way through the forest. This also worked as a good distraction for him and a means of winning the bet without giving up the closeness he'd grown used to.

"Lee? Is that you?"

The cross into the village was a silent one, so it came with some shock for the young fire lord to realize that they'd already arrived. What's more, Zuko knew that name. He knew that voice. Slowly, Zuko turned from Katara to see a face that he thought he'd never see again. Guilt took hold of Zuko's features as an all too familiar limp and sweet inquisitive eyes met his own. It had been a long time since he'd seen her, but Zuko would never forget her face.

"Song"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Again, SO SORRY for not posting for so long.

Anywho, there's a lot going on in this chapter, all of which is relevant to the story. I also kinda threw some random things at you simply because I could. Still relevant, but random. Anywho. What did you guys think? I'm trying to clear up a bit of a mess that I've made in previous chapters while still keeping to what I've done so far. If you didn't notice anything different, then don't worry about the previous statement. If you did notice a difference, I'm simply pointing out that I'm fixing mistakes without retconning or rewriting what I've already written. I may still go back and edit chapters, but that won't be for a bit. If I did that, I'd probably get lost in all my past fics that I have to continue and never get anything done. I won't be giving myself a due date for the net update since life is still topsey-turvey. But I will try to have an update soon to one, if not all my fanfics. Also, feel free to take a peek at any of the other fics I have going if you haven't already. One of which is pretty long so it'll eat up the time between now and the next update.


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